Prompts, Bitch!
by DeepLittleSOB
Summary: My first ever, all-prompt collection for Supernatural. I will be publishing it as I go, posting whatever prompt I finish when I finish it as I take a needed break from my series to recharge and whatnot. Let's have some fun, shall we?
1. Old Faithful

**Prompts, Bitch!**

 **Okay, clearly I've been rewatching breaking bad with that title. Sorry. But here it is! My first ever, all-prompt collection. I will be publishing it as I go, posting whatever prompt I finish when I finish it as I take a needed break from my series to recharge and whatnot. At the beginning of each new prompt I will only give as little information as I have to. If I have to spoil anything I'll warn you before so you can skip reading anything you don't want. The actual submitted prompt will be given at the end of the chapter. All prompts will be posted here anonymously.**

 **THIS CHAPTER: A single prompt that is super out there and so creative. If you've read my series before this will make more sense as the main character is original from by brain (aka, not in the show) and was briefly in the series I've been laboring on for years. However, if you have not read my series, go with it anyways! I don't think it's a deal breaker if you haven't. I think it'll make sense. **

* * *

He hates this.

Almost every damn day this happens. His best friends get in their cars and leave him here, like some ditch-able prom date. It's bullshit is what it is.

He hates the loneliness. It reminds him of juvie. He hated that place as much as he hates the silence in his home. That place was loud, cold, smelly, and cramped. Living in a small cell is not right… especially when he did nothing to find himself landed there.

Whatever. That's the past. The present is much better. He has a family now. A really good one, one that spoils him rotten and teaches him new things all the time. Maybe he was meant to become a part of this small, ragtag family all along. He paid his dues the first few years and now he gets to be fed well and live the good life.

Except for when his best buds leave him like this. Work is overrated.

So Cass lays there, right at the top of the stairs with a clear shot of the front door to the apartment. His front two paws hang over the edge of the top step, chin flopped on top of them, and he waits loyally until either the big guy or his girl gets back.

It's been months now that they jail-broke him and the routine is set. They leave, he waits. And waits. And waits.

Most likely the big guy that didn't really like him at first will get back first and take him outside to go for a walk. Maybe he'll speak more about his dead brother and how much he misses him. Cass can sense the sadness in him and he knows it's his duty to try and help. Sometimes they just sit on the couch together, Cass with his head in the big guy's lap to show him he cares. Other times he just sits attentively as his buddy talks to him about everything and nothing. Whatever they do together it doesn't matter. As long as Cass feels like he's helping. He owes these best friends of his everything for helping him get the hell out of juvie.

But he hates this. The silence. Ugh. He's lonely.

And right then his temporary salvation shows up. He knows certain sounds very well. The rumble of his best friend's cars, the click of the front door being unlocked, and the flap of wings as another, newer one of his friends flies into his home.

Cass lets out a couple woofs of excitement as he scrambles to his feet of the hardwood floor. He hates these floors. No traction whatsoever!

Running down the hall, the jingling of metal tags as his claws tap-tap-tap in a march across the hard flooring, he knows his new friend can hear him a mile away.

By the time he rounds the corner he sees him, sitting upright with feet on the floor at the living room couch. This guy never really relaxes, he can sense that. Always stuffy and uptight. But the guy seems to be on the straight and narrow and he really has a love for his best friends so Cass gives him a pass… even if he smells different than all the other humans he's ever met. He's pretty sure he isn't human anyways because, you know, humans don't fly.

Without hesitation, the fluffy dog stops next to the new arrival's leg and drops his chin on the guy's knee with automatic response to his presence. His big blue eyes look up to the new friend and in response he gets a ruffling of the fur on top of his head.

"How are you, Casanova?" Castiel calmly asks, his voice rumbling yet calm.

"You know me, man," the dog answers back without the use of his actual voice. He adjusts his chin slightly but never moves it off Castiel's knee, enjoying the fact that he can converse with someone directly. He loves his best friends, damn does he, but they can't understand his thoughts like this newer friend can. "I ate too much grass again today. Threw up twice. Lizzy got pissed. It was gross, dude."

"I've told you not to consume so much grass. So has Elizabeth. Repeatedly," Castiel lightly scolds. "You always end up vomiting."

"But it tastes so good! What do you want from me?" Casanova gets upset and takes a step back, sitting on his hind legs. His back is tall and front two paws together on the floor. He keeps his eyes trained on Castiel as his tail wags. "You here for the usual or are you just happy to see me?"

"You know why I'm here."

"Then you better have the goods." Casanova's eyes narrow and his head tilts. "Do you?"

Without speaking, Castiel reaches into his trench coat. He holds out the bully stick for the Australian Shepherd mix to see.

"The good stuff!" Casanova gets excited as he adjusts his paws, picking them up and down a few times, and he scoots his butt a little, tail wagging faster now. "Castiel! You're awesome!"

Castiel now narrows his eyes. "I think you're letting Dean influence you too much."

"Don't you dare speak bad of my best bro, dude," the dog warns, lowering his head with anger and letting out the faintest of growls. The big guy is a good man. He's been through a lot. Any threat to him is a threat to Casanova directly.

"I wouldn't dare," Castiel appeases him. "You know that."

"Good." Casanova then gets up and into Castiel's space with his paws on his thigh and starts sniffing at his reward, reaching for it. "Lemme just get a taste, huh?"

"No," Castiel chastises as he returns the treat to his coat's inner pocket and leans away from the animal. "Not until we talk first. You know the deal."

"Come on, Castiel," the dog sucks up and leans into his space completely. Casanova licks his face incessantly, sucking up the best way a dog knows how. "I can chew and talk. Come on!"

"No," Castiel denies and presses his hand to the dog's excited face and pushes him back gently until he stops licking. Castiel looks him right in the eyes while wiping his face with his other hand. "You know I hate when you do that."

"I only do it to my best friends," the dog nearly flirts as he crawls up onto the couch next to him. He turns around a couple times on the cushion next to the angel before he curls up partially on Castiel's lap, his head on his knee again.

"Have you not heard of personal space?" Castiel asks and gets annoyed.

"I'm a dog, man. My rules are totally different."

Castiel sighs with annoyance but scratches behind the dog's ears anyways. "How is she?"

"She's good," Casanova tells him, eyes heavy with the scratching. It just feels so damn good. As much as the new friend loves to think he's a self-controlled and stoic being… Casanova knows better. "We went for our walk yesterday and she threw my ball again. I kept giving it back to her but she kept throwing it away. I swear she'd lose every single ball she has if I wasn't here to find them for her. Seriously. You'd think she'd learn by now. She seems like a smart girl."

"I believe it's just a game she's playing with you," Castiel informs him in a serious tone.

"All I know is she loves losing balls and I have to pick them all up. It's exhausting, dude," he explains. "Anyways, we met this girl there and she had a dog. A female dog. A Golden mix. Man, that bitch was fine. And her ass smelled so good…."

"Focus, Casanova," Castiel tells him, eyes closing. This dog was meant to be in this household with Dean Winchester. "Anything out of the ordinary? Have you sensed anything… off?"

"Well, I was gone for a few days," he explains, eyes looking up to the angel. "The humans had something they had to do and I was shipped off to that house with the little human… Brennan. Love that kid. He's crazy. And he loves me. I get so much attention around him and he drops food like nobody's business. I eat like a king around that kid."

Castiel wrinkles his eyebrows, interest peaked. "Where were Elizabeth and Dean during this time?"

"Not totally sure. But they kept talking about some ghost or something in New Hampshire maybe… or maybe it was Vermont…." The dog pauses while he tries to recall but he can't. "Whatever. Either way, they came back stinking weird but they seemed fine."

"Stinking how?" Castiel asks with worry.

"Uh… like dirt and… something off. I used to smell something like that when the dead kid in my old home would show up and mess with the house. That fucking kid almost ruined my life."

"How so?"

Casanova pushes out a depressed sounding sigh through his nose. "My last family ditched me in juvie when things in their house started breaking or getting messed with. Blamed it on me. Dumb bastards didn't know it was the dead kid in the house doing it. He was pissed off and kept fucking with the house. I got the bad rep and they packed me off. Thank dog for my girl. She had eyes for me the second she stepped into that shelter. She knows a prize when she sees it, you know?" He lifts his head to look directly at Castiel with the joke. The angel keeps serious and he plops his head back onto Castiel's knee. "Whatever. The big guy didn't like me at first, not like my girl did, but I won that sap over. Dude's so weak." Casanova says with such smugness. "He loves me."

"So… you're telling me that Elizabeth and Dean both smelled like the dead child at your previous home?" Castiel fact checks.

"Yeah, pretty much," Casanova tells him, turning over on his back and looking up at the angel with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

Castiel sits back into the couch backing. "They're hunting again."

"Nah, they don't seem like the animal-killing-kind, dude," Casanova denies him. "At least I know _she_ couldn't hurt a fly. Big guy seems pretty chill too, though."

"You don't know your people as well as you believe you do then," Castiel comments drily.

"You gonna leave me hanging, dude?" Casanova asks, squirming a little on his back.

Eyes rolling, Castiel drops a hand on the dog's belly, scratching away as he knows this is exactly what Casanova wanted.

"Ah… yeah," the dog enjoys. "That's the stuff."

"Have they left you any other times since I've last been here?" Castiel wonders, needing to know if they've been on the wrong path or not.

"Nah. They just go to work mostly. And hang around here. They drink a lot."

"Nothing new," Castiel comments grumpily.

"And they disappear into that room across the hall and get real loud a lot."

"Also nothing new."

"Don't know what they're doing in there but it seems like they have fun," Casanova comments. "They never let me play though."

"Trust me, you don't want to be involved in that," Castiel lets him know.

"I don't know," Casanova rebuts. "Sounds like they like it… whatever _it_ is."

"Stay away from that," Castiel gives another fair warning.

"Ahh…" Casanova sighs out with the belly scratch. "Knew I liked you for a reason."

When it gets too weird for Castiel, he takes his hand back. "So that's all there is? Nothing else?"

The dog rolls back over and once more plops his chin on Castiel's thigh. "Not really. Big guy talks about his brother a lot still. I know he's sad. I try to help but… you know how he is."

"I do believe you are helping him, Casanova," Castiel makes sure the animal understands. "Your presence has a very healing effect on both of them. I know it isn't easy but you're a big help."

Casanova's pride in himself ramps up. "It's good to know that I can help the people that rescued me."

"You are."

Casanova gives Castiel's hand a little lick for the praise. "But other than that it's been the same old. They've been happier lately. We go to parks and take rides in that big black car a lot, even though I wasn't allowed in there at first. I like that car better. Feels better. Bigger windows to hang outta."

"Dean adores that car. Be honored that you have been given permission to travel in it," Castiel informs him.

"Nice. Oh, and I think they're getting me another human soon… or at least they're talking about getting me one," Casanova says easily.

Back straightening with the unexpected news, Castiel quickly asks, "What does that mean? Another human?"

"They've been having some real serious conversations lately… about the future. They mentioned getting me a little buddy… like a baby human," Casanova explains like it's nothing. "Dude, that would be awesome. My old family had a couple little humans and they were my favorite. And that Brennon kid, love him. I hope the big guy and my girl get me a human. That'd be sweet."

Something changes then. Looking over at Castiel the dog swears he sees a shift in his expression. Something lighter, happier hits him and Casanova can feel it. It's coming off of him in waves.

"What, you gonna grow girly parts over that idea?" Casanova pokes fun with Castiel's reaction.

The face he gets from the angel is annoyance. "I think you shouldn't allow yourself to be so influenced by Dean's personality."

"Why not!? Dude's hilarious," Casanova laughs.

Castiel sighs. "Well, I do hope you get what you want. I think a child would be a very good thing around here… especially for Dean and Elizabeth." He smiles ever so slightly. "That would be a wonderful thing."

"Yeah. It'd be pretty cool," Casanova agrees with him completely.

Castiel sighs heavily with relief. "It's good to know they're doing well. Thank you for speaking with me and letting me know how they are."

"All you have to do is stop by anytime, man," Casanova lets him know as he sits up and scoots closer to him. "They don't get many visitors around here. And the visitors they do get don't usually bring the goods. Huh?" Casanova paws at Castiel's trench coat right above where the bully stick is stowed. "Huh?"

Castiel cocks an eyebrow and reaches into his coat. Producing the treat, he offers it over. Casanova takes all of a half second to swipe the treat in his mouth and dart for his dog bed in the room.

"Thanks, dude!" Casanova tells him as he circles in his plush, fluffy dog bed twice before settling in. "You're the shit, Cass."

"Uh… thank you. I think," Castiel answers back with hesitation, not exactly getting the compliment while knowing it was meant to be one. He stands up, ready to depart.

"Hey, man," Casanova pauses his joy to look up at the angel. "Seriously, you really should stop in when they're here some time. I know my girl misses you a lot. A real lot. And the big guy thinks you're, like, his bestie."

"Bestie?" Castiel questions, head tilted and brow wrinkled.

"Best friend. Damn. You really gotta get with the times," the dog lets him know.

"I been through all of the times," Castiel reminds. "I can't keep up with lingo."

"Whatever. Just come see them. They would love it, I promise," Casanova swears to him.

Castiel pauses and sighs. Contemplates but he refuses once more. "I can't do that."

"Why not!?" Casanova gets upset.

"Because… the lives your friends once lived weren't good. They were dangerous and frightening and not what they deserve. They deserve this life, one where it's quiet and loving. And they have a chance at a real future. If I come back… that'll disappear."

Confused, Casanova laughs a little. "Yeah, still don't get it."

"It's better that you don't," Castiel vaguely answers. "You watch them well, Casanova."

Castiel flies off and leaves the apartment quiet once more. Casanova stays in his bed, chewing away at his bully stick as he sits happily distracted. He misses the big guy and his girl, of course, but bully sticks tend to make loneliness temporarily disappear. So until he's done he'll be happy.

When his treat is gone he'll have to retake his spot at the top of the stairs where he is in full view of the front door. That way when one of them comes back he can attack with happiness as usual.

Sounds like his people could use any extra happiness they can get.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Once more, he sits at the top of the stairs. He's waiting. Just waiting.

He's still in this apartment after all this time. It always was his favorite spot. It was where he found a family that never left him, even when shit hit the fan. The big guy and his girl had so much fall on them in such a short time. The big guy's brother came back all messed up and empty smelling, they were working on giving him a little human to love, they had to move out of the apartment to the grumpy dude's place… and they stuck with him the whole time. They never once thought about ditching him back at juvie. It wasn't an option in their eyes and he couldn't love them more for it. They were loyal.

But now this apartment he used to love so much is lonely. It's been lonely for so long. Sometime five minutes without them felt the same as five hours… but now? It's been so many days he can't figure it out.

His heart hurts without them. He just wants his girl to come in, greet him in her high pitched voice he loves, and tell him he's a good boy. He wants walks with the big guy where he just talks about nothing and everything. He wants to get in the car with them, stick his face out the window, and go meet strangers that pet him at a brewery or maybe sniff a lot of butts at a dog park.

He knows one day he'll get that back. He just knows it. So he waits days and days and weeks and months… maybe years. That's just the kind of good boy that he is.

The flapping of wings breaks up the monotonous waiting.

"Hello, Casanova."

It's the simple greeting he's heard dozens and dozens of times through the endless wait that keeps stretching out in front of him. At least it's company. Not the company he craves most but still, it's something.

"Hey Castiel," Casanova greets depressingly, picking up his head to look at him briefly. He then plops his chin back onto his two paws at the edge of the top step, sighing sadly.

"You seem sadder than usual," Castiel commiserates, scratching behind the animal's ears.

"I'm tired of waiting," Casanova confesses. "I miss them."

"I know you do," Castiel tries to comfort as best as the angel can. "They miss you too."

"Yeah…." Casanova exhales hard again. "How's the little human?"

"He's very good," Castiel explains. "Starting to walk soon."

"Wish I got to meet him," Casanova depressingly adds.

"Well, considering you helped save his life by defending his pregnant mother… I really wish you had met him also."

Casanova doesn't answer that. He has no words. He's missing out on so much down there. He never got to meet the new human they were going to give him and that hurts him so much still.

"You will meet them all again… and you will meet Samuel someday."

"I'm tired of waiting," Casanova says again, his voice whining a bit with the heavy heart he carries every day.

"That is why I'm here," Castiel tells him. "I want to help you as you once helped them."

"Dude, those evil, blacked guys came into the house and were gonna hurt my girl and the little human. I wasn't gonna let that happen. It was instinct."

"And it got you killed."

"And I'd do it again!" Casanova defends his decisions as he looks Castiel in the eyes. "No one hurts my family."

Castiel's face lightens up. "You sound like Dean."

"Good," he answers with strength. He then drops his chin again and looks at the door. "How long before he comes home again?"

"I don't know, honestly," Castiel tells him. "But I do know that when Dean and Elizabeth arrive… when Samuel gets here… they won't be coming through these doors."

"What!?" Casanova panics, standing up with worry as he paces the top floor landing. "Why not!?"

"This may be your favorite place, the place you found your home… but this is not what they would consider _their_ home."

"No," Casanova whines as he paces with alarm. "No! I've been waiting for them!"

"I understand that…."

"They have to come back for me! They're mine!"

"And I want to bring you to where they would go when they arrive in Heaven," Castiel explains calmly.

Casanova sits next to him, back tall with a confused, tilted expression. "Where?"

"Do you remember the man that I believe you referred to as the grumpy guy?"

"Yeah…"

Castiel reaches out presses two fingers to the dog's head, right between his eyes.

In a flash they're at a new house and Casanova knows it when he smells it. Old, dusty, parchment, chalk, salt, burnt herbs… he knows where he is right away. The old kitchen with books strewn about, a couple chewed tennis balls strewn on the checkered linoleum, and the scent of his humans somewhere in the place. The grumpy guy's house!

Casanova looks up from his place seated in the middle of kitchen. Castiel stands next to him.

"You belong here. When your family arrives they will meet you here. And in the meantime… at least you won't be alone." Castiel then crouches down and ruffles the dog's furry head. "Be happy. They will meet you soon enough. Just not yet."

Castiel disappears.

Excitement floods him. He lived here for months while his girl was making his little human in her stomach. They were happy here too. Sure, the big guy was gone a lot in that time, but it was fine. He had work to do. And when his tall brother was fixed he even made a new friend here, one that loved dogs so much it was surprising. There was a lot of love in this house, even if it didn't seem like there should be. And the grumpy guy….

The old radio playing soft classic rock from the library cuts through the air. Casanova makes out the sound of a book page turning and he can smell the scent of whiskey.

Darting into the study, Casanova immediately finds the grumpy guy sitting in a leather chair, happy as a clam in his sock clad feet as he reads away the afternoon.

Not being able to communicate with him like he could Castiel, the dog simply jumps about and barks his excitement to see another human, especially one that he really liked.

"Cass!" Bobby greets from his chair and smiles as the dog leaps up into his lap. With excited licks landing all over his face he has to huff a small laugh. "Missed you too, buddy. Okay. Alright. Calm down."

Casanova's voice whines with how full his heart feels to have an old friend back. No, he's not one of his best friends, but damn it is the grumpy guy a good one. He really liked him a lot. And he wants to cry with excitement over getting him back.

"Okay! Cass, damn it!" Bobby starts to get ornery just like Casanova assumed he would. "Stop!"

Casanova does stop after a few minutes. He just couldn't contain himself. Instead he curls up in Bobby's lap, his head in the crook of his elbow as he cuddles into the man to get the love and comfort he's been missing for so long.

"Guess Cass wasn't kidding," Bobby lightly tells him. "You really did need to come here."

Casanova whines in answer, licking Bobby's hand lightly.

"Well, we can wait together then," Bobby tells him, petting him in long strokes to sooth the clearly agitated dog. "You know those idjits. They ain't going down without a fight. Could be a while until we see them again… or at least I hope so."

Casanova whines yet again, this time shorter and less pathetic than before.

"Yeah. I miss 'em too," Bobby understands, petting the dog once more before reopening his book. "But we'll wait together."

Turning onto his side, finding his perfect spot on the lap of someone he loves and trusts, Casanova sighs again but this time with thankfulness. The fire in the fireplace warms him, the lap he's in is comforting, and if this is where he's stuck to wait for his family then he's sure he can survive just fine. Much better than the lonely, silent staircase.

* * *

 **Submitted Prompt: I have a very silly prompt for you. I really miss Cass (the dog). If you're up for it, I'd love to see a 'conversation' between Cass (the dog) and Cass (the Angel), from the dog's POV. Preferably while Cass (the dog) was with Lizzy and Dean, but it could also be him being visited in heaven.** **Didn't Cass (the Angel) try to 'interrogate' a cat once in the series? :)**

 **I loved their dog, Cass. And I loved that we found out Cass can speak to animals. GREAT PROMPT! Killed this off in no time. I haven't written that fast in so long! Felt good!**

 **If you have not submitted a prompt yet, or if you have another one for me, attach it to your review/comment here! I'll get it and put it into the mix. I got mostly series-related stuff so if anyone has non-series-related prompts for me, bring it on! More please! But anything you have is great!**


	2. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 1)

**New Prompt. This will take a few chapters. Here's the first one. Prompt can be found at the end of this chapter.**

* * *

"Hey," Dean greets as he slides into the barstool next to his younger brother on a Saturday night. He sighs out a groan as he slumps down and leans his elbows into the bar top with relief to be exactly where he is. A bar.

"Hey," Sam greets back and slides over a bottle of cheap beer that he already had ordered for his older brother.

"Yes," Dean exhales happily and snatches up the beer with glee. He taps the neck of his bottle to Sam's half empty one and guzzles down a solid amount. He's ten minutes late. Got to catch up.

"You sounded like you had a long week on the phone," Sam mentions as Dean lets out a very loud 'ah'.

"Yup," he answers in a still slightly surly tone. "Benny took the long weekend and I'm wrecked. Soon as he leaves everyone's got a problem with their old cars and need them fixed yesterday. Fucking Benny."

"Glad I called then," Sam huffs a slight laugh and shrugs off his suit jacket.

"Why you dressed like that on a weekend?" Dean asks with a scrunched up face.

"Had to work today too," he explains and hooks the jacket under the bar. Sure, those hooks are meant for purses but oh well. Good enough. "And we had a possible high profile case come in today."

"On a weekend?"

"The law applies seven days a week," Sam smirks.

"Sucks," Dean grumps, taking another long drag off his bottle of beer. He then asks, "You work too much."

"I'm an ADA," Sam reminds with a small grin.

"Yeah, and you're still just a dude in his twenties," Dean tells him as if he'd forgotten.

"So?"

"So… you act like you're forty," Dean huffs out. "Act your age for a minute, huh? Get a little drunk. Get laid now and then. You know… stuff people in their friggin' twenties do."

"You mean, act like you?" Sam challenges.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Dean, you're thirty-three."

"I'm immature for my age," Dean smirks back and kills his first beer. He then looks around the bar they're in, one he's never been to before. He generally sticks to dives in the area of town he lives in but Sam gave him this address through text at the end of his work day and he just went. Now he recognizes the trendy wood walls, faux-vintage décor, and hipster crowd surrounding them. "Dude, where the _hell_ are we?"

"Brewtopia," Sam answers back without thinking.

"Brew-what?" Dean questions with disgust.

"It's the closest bar to where I work," Sam excuses, having already known Dean would scoff at the new and trendy place. "It's where I get coffee every morning."

"Coffee!? I thought this was a bar," Dean bitches, leaning over the bar top to look around for booze.

"It is. It's a coffee shop by day and a brewery by night. Get it? They brew both," Sam tries to make it sound like no big deal but he can tell Dean's not excited about this. "It's a pretty good business model, actually. They can stay open all day and make good money. They have damn good coffee."

Dean lets out a groan and drops his head. "It finally happened."

"What?"

"You went full hipster."

"Did not," Sam answers and gets offended.

"You did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes you did," Dean says again, looking right at him with pure disappointment. "Do we need to get you a pointless tattoo of an arrow on your wrist while you grow out your mustache now? Maybe put your hair in a man-bun?"

"Hey, you're the one wearing flannel," Sam points out, pulling on the shoulder of Dean's plaid over shirt to make a point.

"I don't wear it ironically though," Dean counters.

"How does one wear flannel ironically?" Sam wonders.

Dean doesn't have an answer for though. "Whatever, you hipster…."

"How we doing over here?" a voice cuts into their conversation. Both men turn to look at the girl behind the bar.

Dean immediately smiles the smile he knows has a tendency to melt panties the second he sees her. Dark hair, dark eyes, killer rack in a low cut shirt, beautiful face. Done. "Better now that you're here."

Sam immediately rolls his eyes as the bartender laughs. "Lizzy, this is my brother, Dean. And I'm sorry in advance for his mouth."

She laughs some more before eyeing Dean over. "I don't know. I kinda like his mouth."

Dean grins wider for that.

"You guys want another round?"

"Yeah. I'll have the IPA," Sam answers quickly, looking to let Lizzy go do her thing and help her avoid the flirt-storm about to come her way.

"Sure thing," Lizzy nods and looks at Dean. "And for you, lips?"

He huffs a laugh at her forwardness. A ballbuster. He likes that. "What do you suggest?"

"Any of our house brews are pretty damn good," she informs him as she purposefully leans over the bar onto her elbows. He can see straight down her shirt. "What kind of beer do you usually like best?"

"Usually? Whiskey," Dean answers her truthfully as he wills his eyes to remain on hers and nowhere below her neckline despite her clear challenge.

She smiles wide at that. Dean can literally feel his heart speed up when he sees every white straight tooth. It's one of the most genuine smiles he's seen in a long time.

"We have a Kentucky style breakfast stout aged in bourbon barrels for six months on nitro," Lizzy tells him.

Dean nods as if he's considering the idea of all that.

"You have no idea what I just said, do you?" Lizzy grins even brighter when she can see the confusion hidden behind his cool exterior.

"Not a friggin' clue," Dean admits and she laughs out brightly. "This isn't my usual kinda joint."

"How about you just trust me to take care of you, huh?" Lizzy suggests as she places a hand on top of one of his lightly.

"Oh, sweetheart… you can take care of me anytime you want," Dean promises right back.

She snorts out a laugh and pats his hand before she walks away. As she reaches for some clean pint glasses she glances back at the men, making eye contact with Dean for just a second before getting to work.

"Dude! Now I know why you come here!" Dean comments quietly but with huge excitement, smacking Sam in the chest with the back of his hand.

"Lizzy is not the reason I come here," Sam says with slight disappointment in his brother.

"Damn," Dean comments, watching her ass as she bends down low to grab something behind the bar. "I'd come to this hipster-hole every day for _her_. I think you've been holding out on me."

"No way," Sam says absently as he looks off to the corner of the open barroom. He smiles to himself when he sees a petite blonde woman settling into a stool in the corner with her acoustic guitar, a microphone set up in front of her.

"Good evening, everyone," a voice says to the moderate crowd of about thirty people. A few clap, clearly knowing her already, and Sam joins them. "Hope you're here for a while. I will be, so keep me company, okay? I swear I don't suck."

"What the hell is this? Poetry hour?" Dean nods over to the woman quickly tuning her guitar and reminding people she takes requests.

"Poetry with a guitar?" Lizzy cuts in and places a pint on a coaster in front of each man. "I think they call that music, Dean." She smirks.

"Oh, is that what that is?" Dean leans into the bar and flashes his best grin again.

"It's what most of us call it at least. And she's damn good… right Sam?" She locks eyes with Sam and watches him turn red.

"Yeah… she's pretty good," Sam nods and looks away, drinking a gulp of beer down to avoid what he knows is coming.

Lizzy sighs and looks at Dean. "Sam's got a thing for her, I'm pretty sure."

"Oh yeah, Sammy?" Dean delights at the news.

"No I don't," Sam tries to calmly deny. "She… she's just got a good voice. I like it."

"Yeah, that's why you've been here every Saturday for a month, right?" Lizzy rolls her eyes.

Dean's face lightens up with the news. "My shut in brother has been out on Saturdays for a month?"

"Shut up," Sam quickly grumps, put on the spot.

"Look, I told you before you should just talk to her," Lizzy reminds him. "You're her type, I promise."

"Nah," Sam blushes harder, looking at the singer. "She doesn't seem like the corporate type."

"No… but she's the tall, dark and handsome type." Lizzy grins at him in a comforting way. "Trust me. No one knows her better than me."

"She your bestie or something?" Dean asks, trying to get back into the conversation with the hot girl.

"Absolutely. And she just happens to be my sister, too," Lizzy explains. She then knocks on the bar top twice and points to the glass in front of Dean. "Enjoy that. Let me know if I got it right." She winks and walks away to serve more customers.

Dean picks up his glass and looks to Sam, his brother's eyes locked once more on the singer. The expression of clear puppy love is there. "Oh man," he laughs.

"What?" Sam asks defensively.

"You got it bad," Dean keeps laughing and Sam tries to ignore him.

"Seriously? No requests?" the singer asks the crowd around her, disappointed. "You guys are lame."

"Freebird!" Dean shouts outs in his usual annoying ways, getting minimal chuckles around him combined with some groans.

"Ah… there's our comedian of the night!" she points at him from across the room. "There's always one. Hey, man. I can totally play Freebird if you want but for fuck's sake, give me a challenge, would you?"

"Alright… how about Pearl Jam?" Dean tries again, grabbing Sam's shoulder and shaking a little. "My little brother loves Pearl Jam, right?" He looks over to see his brother beet-red and angry. "What? You do!"

The singer's mouth turns up in the corners as her blue eyes lock onto Sam's. "I love Pearl Jam too. Any specific song, handsome?"

Sam's back stiffens with the question followed up with a compliment and he sighs while sputtering a bit. "I, uh… um…." He's searching his brain desperately to come up with something non-hit to prove his Pearl Jam fandom-worth to this very talented musician. "What about… Low Light?"

Her eyes light up with the suggestion. "Wow. You really _are_ a fan."

Sam just smiles nervously. He can stand in front of a courtroom without breaking a sweat but this girl looking at him with pleasant surprise is making him so anxious.

"Great song. Really nice pick," Lou tells him and she looks down at her guitar. She thinks real quick, marks out her finger placement a couple times, and she huffs a laugh. "Haven't played this one in a long ass time. Hope I do it justice."

She plays the opening chords, eyes closed as she leans into the microphone.

"Clouds roll by. Reeling is what they say. Or is it just my way? Wind blows by…."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"And this bird you cannot change!"

The ending riff is played out on acoustic and is shockingly impressive. Fingers flying, Lou knows she has to impress the annoying guy at the bar and make him shut up. The third time he shouted Freebird it became a total test. She's acing it and knows it.

When she finishes off the song and exhales hard as the room claps for her somewhat enthusiastically for an acoustic crowd at a mellow bar. There's one unmistakable whoop and a 'Yeah!' from the bar. She smiles over at the annoying 'Freebird' guy and gives him the middle finger. "Screw you, dude. I rocked the shit outta that," she laughs out and places her guitar in the stand next to her. "Alright, I'm gonna take a break, you drunks. Go get a shot or something. And tip the hot ass bartender well, huh?"

As Lou gets up from her stool her eyes slide to the bar where 'Freebird' is sitting back down. He smiles at his brother warmly as he picks up his pint again. She studies the taller of the two with his shaggy brown hair and strong, chiseled face. Maybe she should actually talk to him tonight. He's been around every Saturday night she's player for a week straight. And he's hot. Very hot. She remembers the first time she witnessed him standing up and she nearly choked on her words mid-Billie Jean cover. He's so tall. So tall. She may have fantasized about climbing him after seeing how tall he is.

As she makes it to the end of the bar closest to where she's been playing, her sister is smiling and placing a bottle of water and a shot of Jack Daniels onto the bar top for her.

"Aw, you know me so well," Lou smirks as she stands there across from her sister.

"Nice work on Freebird," Lizzy comments as Lou takes the shot. "Shut him right up."

"Hey, don't challenge me with covers, man," Lou cocks an eyebrow. "I'll make you regret it."

"I would never," Lizzy surrenders, hands up.

"Put that on our tab!"

Both women look down the bar to see 'Freebird' leaning way over the bar and grinning at them.

"She already gets a free shot for singing," Lizzy smiles at him. At least he's generous.

"Then pour another… make it round. On us!" Dean keeps trying as he waves them down the bar.

Lizzy looks at her sister. "What do you think? They're pretty harmless." She shrugs.

"Please," Lou calls her out as she cracks open her water. "You like Freebird."

Lizzy smiles knowingly. "Fair. But Sam's super cute. And he's totally got a thing for you."

"Yeah?" Lou asks after a gulp of water.

"Oh god, definitely," Lizzy laughs. "He's been giving you googly-eyes for a month. Go talk to him and make his night, huh? And be nice! He's a sweet guy."

"Mm, I love sweet guys," Lou nearly growls, looking down at Sam's profile as he smiles at something his brother said.

"You love to crush them like bugs. Just be nice this time, okay? He's not like the usual guys you like," Lizzy warns, having gotten a soft spot for Sam right off.

"Yeah, his brother is," Lou laughs, already getting a picture of who these two are.

"Look, it's been a while since you've even given a guy a second look. Just go say hi and get your shot, huh?" Lizzy sasses back and walks for the Jack bottle behind the bar along with some shot glasses. "Couldn't hurt."

Lou makes her way down the bar a bit, just catching 'Freebird' elbowing his brother when he sees her approaching. It's cute, she has to admit.

"Hey there," Lou says to them both, leaning sideways into the bar next to Sam as she evaluates them both up close. If she thought they were hot from afar she's now seeing that they are in fact stunning up close. And they look nothing alike. One is rugged and classic bad-boy hot and the other is a unique brand of overall shy yet standout, can't-miss-him handsome. One is in jeans and an old band shirt, the other has on a button down and slacks. They're polar opposites.

"I should apologize for my brother," tall guy says to her right off. "I told him to relax with the Freebird."

"Eh, I think I showed him," Lou smiles up at him as even while sitting down he's taller than her. She holds out a hand to him. "Lou."

"Sam," he responds, shaking her hand and she can feel a slight shake to his grip. "This is Dean."

"Aw, I was just gonna keep calling him Freebird," Lou jokes as she nods at Dean.

"Best live cover of Freebird I've ever heard!" Dean excitedly tells her. "You're good!"

"Thanks," she laughs at how amped up he is while Lizzy lines up four shot glasses and starts pouring.

"Hey, made my shitty day way better," Dean lets her know.

"And what could possibly make a happy guy like you have a shitty day?" Lou wonders, seeing his dopey smile that looks a little lubricated with booze.

"Eh, work stuff," he brushes off. "Nothing some beer and shots can't fix."

"And ain't that just what I'm here for?" Lizzy grins and pushes a shot to each person at the bar. "Thanks, boys." She lifts her glass.

They pick theirs up and clink. All shots downed, Lizzy collects the glassware as Sam makes a sour face.

"Not much of a shot taker, Sam?" Lou asks him, eyes locked on his. Up close she's having a hard time figuring out his eye color. Hazel? Kind of green? Grey/blue? She has no idea. She just knows she likes them.

"Not usually," he admits. "I'm getting used to the occasional glass of good scotch at the end of a long day but I don't usually do shots."

"And what is it you do during these long days of yours, hm?" Lou wonders, leaning into her hand with an elbow on the bar. She looks at him intently.

"I'm the ADA for Yolo county," Sam says simply, no pride at all.

"ADA! Mister Fancy!" Lou jokes with him. "And here I was thinking _I_ was doing prestigious stuff."

"If you can call public servitude prestigious..." He looks at her. "What is it you do?"

"You're looking at it!" she gestures around her.

Sam just stares at her. "You work here?"

"I _own_ here," she corrects. "This is my place."

"No kidding!" Sam delights. "I come in here every morning for coffee. Never seen you around."

"I make my presence known at night mostly," Lou explains. "Mornings aren't really my thing… even if drinking coffee is."

"So… do you brew the beer or…?"

"Hell no," she laughs. "It's a friend of mine that does it. We're partnered up. I roast the coffee, he brews the beer. It's a good partnership."

"The Sumatran blend I get every single morning?"

"Roasted, by hand, by yours truly," Lou smirks, hands on her hips with pride.

"That's my favorite roast," Sam smiles at her, dimples out.

Lou's heart skips with the somehow boyish grin on such a statuesque man. "Mine too. I mean, I like them all since I roast them all… but if I had to pick one of my babies as my favorite, it's the Sumatran."

"I'll never stray then."

"Better not," Lou smiles and pushes him in the shoulder flirtatiously. "Sounds like you're one of our best customers. I'd hate to lose you."

Sam nods, highly impressed. "But wait… does that mean you don't do anything at all with music?"

"That's just my hobby, I guess you could say," she explains. "I love music. Played it my whole life. Started with piano and worked up from there. But realistically… that's not a career choice."

"You could do it," Sam says with certainty. "Seriously. You have a great voice."

"So do hundreds of girls," Lou laughs, flattered. "But thanks."

"You're welcome," Sam softly smiles back and looks down at his beer on the bar, hands wrapped around it.

He's so damn cute. The way he hides from her behind his shaggy hair after complimenting her is too much.

"I gotta get back," Lou says to him. "Any last requests?"

Dean's ear perk up and he turns away from his side conversation with Lizzy to look at her. "You know any Zeppelin?"

"Is the fucking sky blue?" Lou laughs at his question.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Okay, so here's the deal," Lizzy says quietly as Lou plays her last song of the night and Sam's in the bathroom. She's been waiting for this opportunity to speak to Dean alone half the night. She curls her finger, beckoning him to come closer. He leans in over the bar a bit and she leans down on her elbows towards him. "I know Sam's got a thing for my sister."

"You think?" Dean says, obviously agreeing.

"But he's shy. I can tell."

"Sam talking to a girl is pretty nightmare-ish," Dean shakes his head, eyes closed. "He's like a virgin at the Playboy Mansion, I swear.

"But it's cute," Lizzy adds in the caveat, laughing at Dean's comparison. "My sister, however… she's not shy. _At all_."

"That could be a good thing though," Dean comments. "He needs the push."

"She's a fucking maneater. She'll scare him away," Lizzy explains, dropping a napkin on the bar top and sliding over to him. "So… I need your help."

Dean takes the napkin and looks. Two numbers, one labeled Lou and the one under it labeled Lizzy.

"You need to steal his phone. Put her number in it and tell him to text her for dinner or something. If he tries to ask her out here in person she'll just try to go home with him tonight."

"Good!" Dean cheers. "He needs to get laid so bad…."

"Well, Lou doesn't," Lizzy interrupts him, knowing time is limited. "She needs a date… not a one night stand."

"What about you?" Dean asks and changes the subject to something more selfish. "What do you need? Date? One nighter? I mean, I can do either. Or both, really."

Lizzy's face spreads out into a wide smile. "Focus."

Dean's face falls.

"Will you talk to him, get him to text her?" Lizzy keeps trying, already knowing Sam would be too good for her sister.

"I'll do what I can," Dean promises, pocketing the napkin. Dean winks at her.

Lizzy just smiles at him with thankfulness for the help as Sam sits back into his stool.

"Can we get the check, Lizzy?" Sam asks, knowing it's after last call.

"Sure thing," she answers in a friendly tone and walks for the register.

Sam then turns around and glances at Lou out of the corner of his eyes. He's nervous. She's going to finish singing soon and he might be left to make small talk with her awkwardly. He'd love to ask her to see him some time, maybe even go home with him… but that's never been his thing. He's too shy for that and he is fully aware of the goofy, painfully weird person he becomes when one on one with a woman he's attracted to and likes. Why is he so awkward?

"Thanks, sweetheart," Dean says and it brings Sam out of his brain. He watches Dean grinning wide with confidence at Lizzy, her hand lingering on his a little longer than necessary as she hands over their check for the night.

Right, _that's_ why he's a dork with girls. Dean got all the fucking swag. Jerk.

"On me," Sam tells him and snatches the receipt from Dean's grip.

"Uh, alright. Not gonna fight you on that one," Dean huffs out and kills the last gulp in his pint glass.

"Hey, I know you don't like newer bars that don't smell like mold and stale beer so I owe you." Sam pulls out his credit card.

"Actually… I kinda like this place," Dean admits, eyes glued to Lizzy's ass as she moves around behind the bar to close out the night.

"No… you like the bartender," Sam clarifies, sliding the check and his card to the inner edge of the bar. "There's a difference."

"Can you blame me?" Dean asks her.

Sam just laughs a little, thanking god that Lou chose to play American Pie at the end of the night. Long song. He can leave before she's done.

"You gonna stay?" Sam asks, nodding in Lizzy's direction.

Dean thinks about it hard, really wishing he could stay and see if she'd be up for more fun after her shift ends. "Nah," he thinks better of it. "She doesn't seem like the type."

"She is," Sam smirks. "Saw he leave early one week with some guy. You got a good shot."

"Yeah… maybe another time," Dean denies as Lizzy comes over, grabs Sam's card, and leave to run it, her eyes always on Dean.

"You feeling alright?" Sam asks with shock.

"Damn good. Why?"

"I just… I've never seen you turn down a night of fun with a hot girl before. Dude, she's eyeing you. She's hoping you stay."

Dean's hand lands on the pocket of his jeans where he's stowing the napkin she gave him with her phone number on it. "I got a feeling I'll see her again."

"You got her number, didn't you?" Sam gets annoyed.

"He sure did," Lizzy grins and place a receipt copy for Sam to sign and his card on the bar. "Didn't even have to ask, either. Have a good night, boys." She winks at Dean and gets back to work.

"Bastard," Sam mutters and signs quickly, leaving a generous tip. He quickly stands up and grabs his suit blazer from under the bar.

"Wait… don't you wanna talk to Lou before we go?" Dean tries to stop him.

"She's busy," he shrugs and puts on his jacket.

"Give her a minute and she won't be," Dean tells him, knowing the song is almost over.

"I don't want to bother her," Sam shrugs it off and starts for the door.

"Whoa, whoa," Dean stops his brother with a hand clamped around his arm. Sam pauses and looks at Dean still in his bar stool. "You're not gonna bother her by talking to her."

"She's had a long night," Sam excuses. "So have I. I gotta get more work done tomorrow anyways. Probably already stayed out too long as it is." With that, Sam turns around and heads out the door.

Sighing with sheer let down, though what different actions could he have expected from Sam anyways, Dean stands up. He chances a glance back at Lizzy to find her staring at him with complete disappointment. Dean just shakes his head with loss and waves to her, departing for the night. He catches her returning to another customer, a man on the other end of the bar, and her smile makes his heart drop. Maybe he should have played this differently. She might go home with someone else and he could end up missing out completely.

Nah. He'll play this right this time. He doesn't know why, but he will.

After saying goodnight to Sam, promising to meet up for pizza and The Walking Dead the next night before another long week of work, Dean gets into his beloved car. Starting her up, he sits back for a second, phone in hand as he thinks. Should he? Shouldn't he?

"Ah, fuck it," Dean says to himself, pulling out the napkin he was given. He types in Lizzy's number and a text message.

 _It's Dean. Just wanted to say I'm glad my brother brought me to your lame hipster bar tonight. Had fun talking to you. I should come by more often… just saying._

Okay, that's dumb. He can't send that lame shit to the really cool, really hot chick he just met. She'll think he's a total dork….

Through the car he can hear a giggle he's come to know well in the last several hours. Looking into his rearview mirror to the front entrance of the bar behind him, he catches sight of Lizzy walking out and laughing with the guy from the other end of the bar.

She's leaving with him. He did blow it! He misjudged this completely!

Panicking, Dean presses send on the text message.

"Shit! No!" he instantly regrets as the text sends and there's nothing he can do to stop it. "Fuck me!"

With wide, anxious eyes, Dean once more watches her in the rearview. He sees when Lizzy pauses on her way to a car with her guy of the night to pull her phone out of her back pocket. Checking the text message she just received, Dean's nerves calm when he watches a sweet, warm smile spread across her face. She bites her bottom lip for a second before she once more looks to the man she's leaving with. He can't hear the conversation but the disappointed look on the guy's face as she pulls her own keys from her purse is priceless.

And the huge, triumphant grin of his own as he watches her leave alone feels like victory.

His smile is even bigger than that one the next morning when he wakes to find a text response inviting him to come see her any Wednesday or Saturday night that she's working if he wants.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Turning over in bed for the twentieth time, Sam sighs heavily. He can't sleep. And hour of trying and he's wide awake.

He's a god damn coward. That's what it is. It's regret that's keeping him up.

All he had to do what talk to her at the end of the night. Just stay at the bar a few more minutes, maybe ask for her number. He got a great vibe from Lou, a really great vibe. She probably would have given her number to him.

That's the story of his life. Missed opportunity, especially with women. He blew it with Jess by not making enough time for her while working his way through grad school and it was a repeat all over again with Amelia. Since then he hasn't even tried. He's let his job aspirations, his fear of change, and his anxiety over women ruin every chance he's had.

And now here he is, lying in a king sized bed alone yet again because he's a wimp.

Next week, he thinks. Next week he's getting her number and asking her out. Dinner. That's what he'll do. Even if he acts awkward and embarrasses himself maybe he won't end up alone in his bed every night. The change has to start somewhere.

* * *

 **So, maybe I should call this the Super Normal Universe? Haha. Here's the prompt I received:**

 **Ok so there's no hunting in this prompt, anddddd I do go into a bit of detail but feel free to change whatever you want! This is just me going overboard as usual lol. Ok so Dean and Sam are brothers; Dean owns a small yet very successful garage that specializes in classic car restoration and Sam is an Assistant District Attorney. Lizzy and Lou are sisters; Lizzy owns a dance studio (she got injured while attending Juliard, effectively ending her chance at a professional dance career, but still loves teaching children and teenagers to dance) and Lou is a bartender at the most popular bar in the city, where she is has a regular gig every week to sing and play guitar and everybody loves her. Perhaps the boys meet the girls one night at the bar when Lou is performing, with Lizzy overhearing Sam tell Dean how mesmerized he is by Lou. They all hit it off and then you can take it from there ;) As if that's not enough, I would like to see (if possible) certain hi-lights of their relationships such as a date or two, proposals, weddings and babies. Maybe after the initial meeting you could do like 1 year later, 2 years later, etc. However it works for you to get the hi-lights of their relationships in there. Of course, smut is ALWAYS welcome and very much appreciated ;) hope you can work with that! Sorry if it's too much! Just use whatever you want :)**


	3. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 2)

**Note: This chapter has been edited from it's original form for compliance with the M rating on FanFiction. For the full, MA version of this chapter please visit this same story on Archive of Our Own. The story title and chapter title are the same. The author name is DeepLittleSOB. The link to my Dashboard is in my profile.**

* * *

"Dude… did you get any meat on either of these?" Dean angrily asks as he opens up the second box of pizza his brother had delivered, already upset with what he saw in box number one.

"I got a veggie deluxe and a Hawaiian," Sam explains, pulling two beers from his refrigerator. "Hawaiian has ham."

"And fruit!" Dean bitches.

"You'll survive," Sam laughs and stands next to his brother. They plate up a few slices each at the counter and make their way to the living room to set up for the night. This was their ritual. Sunday meant The Walking Dead and pizza. They switched off apartments each week, Sam being up for this particular Saturday.

Taking a massive bite of Hawaiian, Dean sits back as Sam gets up again before really settling in.

"Bathroom break before zombies," Sam offhandedly explains as he drops his cell phone on the coffee table. He then points to the TV. "Pause it if it starts."

"Will do," Dean promises.

"Seriously! Pause it!" Sam warns as he walks down the short hallway.

"I will. Damn," Dean mutters and reaches for the remote on the coffee table just in case. He stops mid reach when he realizes Sam left his phone just sitting there. Unattended. And in front of Dean.

He smiles to himself.

"Aw, Sammy," Dean says quietly, snatching up the phone and looking down the hall to make sure it's still clear from Sam's eyes. "Don't you know better than to trust me by now?"

Quickly, Dean pulls out the napkin he was given last night. After two guesses he figures out Sam's security code on his phone and programs in Lou's number. He then decides to just go for it and not think about it too much. He knows if he tried to talk Sam into texting Lou on his own he wouldn't. So instead he gives him a little push.

 _Hey Lou. It's Sam from the bar last night. Your sister gave me your number. I hope that's alright with you and all. I was wondering what you were doing next weekend. Maybe we could get dinner or something?_

Dean rereads it quickly. Sounds sappy enough. And slightly awkward. Perfect. He sends the text message just as he hears the toilet flush. He then swiftly drops the phone back onto the coffee table right where he took it from and sits back casually, plate of pizza in his lap.

"Dude!" Sam gets angry as he walks in and points to the TV.

"Shit," Dean complains, the show already on. "It's just the credits. You didn't miss anything."

"Cold open, dude! I asked you to pause it," Sam complains, sitting onto the couch and mirroring Dean with his plate in his lap.

"We can go back. It's fucking digital, you Nazi," Dean fights back.

"Not the point and you know it," Sam gets mad. "All you had to do was pay attention."

"I paid attention."

"No, clearly you didn't…."

"Blow me, Sam. You didn't miss anything we can't rewind."

"I swear, Dean…." Sam cuts himself off when his phone buzzes on the glass coffee table. He grabs it and checks his incoming text message.

 _Did you just ask me out on a date? Wow! I thought you were too shy for that shit._

Sam looks at the message dumbfounded. Date? He didn't ask anyone out on a date. Who the hell is this?

His face goes sheet white when he sees the name. 'Hot Lou from Hipster Bar'.

Whipping his head to the side, getting an eyeful of a very guilty looking older brother pretending to watch the show instead of knowing he's in trouble, Sam blows up. "What did you do!?"

"What?" Dean asks, feigning confusion.

Sam holds his phone screen out for Dean to read. "What did you do, Dean!?"

"Nothing…" he answers. Then he adds, "That you shouldn't have done on your own already."

"What the fuck!?" Sam tosses his plate on the coffee table and stands up. "You're interfering with my social life like this now!?"

"What social life?" Dean mutters to himself but Sam hears it.

"That's a new low, Dean!"

"Unbunch, Sam!" Dean shouts back and leans back into the couch, ready for the fight. "I just gave you the little push you needed."

"You stole my phone while I was in the bathroom and asked a girl out for me! How do you even know I _want_ to go on a date with her!?"

"You _don't_?" Dean challenges with total disbelief.

"I… I would like to make that decision on my own, thank you!" Sam yells back.

"Well, I helped you make the _right_ decision. Sue me," Dean shrugs. "You weren't gonna make a move if I didn't do it for you."

"You… you don't know that!"

Dean doesn't bother giving a rebuttal for that. He just shares a knowing look with his little brother.

"You can't just fuck with people's lives like this, Dean!"

"I'm not _fucking_ with your life, okay?" Dean speaks in a calmer tone as he stands up. He looks Sam in the eyes. "You have been so focused on your career for so long that life is just kinda passing you by. You don't really leave this apartment and when you do it's for work. Or drinks after work with your coworkers. Last night was a rarity and you know it."

"What's your point?" Sam grumps, hands on his hips.

"You need to find something, Sam," Dean tells him. "You need to, I don't know… be a person."

"I _am_ a person."

"No, you're a lawyer and that's it. You need fun. You need a girl. Go on a date, have sex for once… and stop shutting yourself in with your briefcase every damn night."

"Oh, so I should be like you?" Sam turns the tables defensively. "Work all week and then spend the weekend drunk and hooking up with random strangers?"

"Not what I'm saying," Dean shakes his head. "My life isn't exactly what it should be at this point either. I know that. But I know _you_. We're talking about _you_ here. You like her. She digs you. So go find out more about her. Grab dinner. Relax for a second. Live, huh?"

Sam just stares at his brother, hating the perfect sense he's making. The stubborn streak runs deep within him.

"At least text her back," Dean tells him, pointing to the phone in Sam's hand. "Go with it and take her out. What's the worst that could happen?" Sam looks at the phone but doesn't make any other move. "Or fucking don't. Be honest and tell her I sent the text and go back on it. What the fuck ever. Just answer her, would you?"

Dean plops down onto the couch again and grabs his beer, taking a long pull from it with defeat. He tried at least. He can always say he tried to help his brother get out of his comfort zone and possibly be happy.

And Sam thinks. He knows Dean's right as much as he'd rather gargle glass than admit it. And he really does want to see more of Lou. Something about her just keeps him thinking about her. She pops into his mind randomly through the day. He thinks about her when a song she's known to cover comes on the radio of the car.

He really likes her and Dean just created the opportunity to see her.

With an angry sigh, Sam drops down into his spot on the couch and starts typing a message in response. He knows Dean's watching him. "Take the smug look off your face."

"My expression is blank."

"It's never blank."

Dean smirks smugly with self-pride.

Sam ignores him, never looking at him, as he sends Lou a message.

 _Well, maybe I should have asked you sooner. But how about next Friday? Are you around?_

When he pushes send his stomach ties in knots. What the hell is he doing? Just asking a girl out like this? Over a text message? How classy….

 _Hey, I like shy guys. They're very cute. And I'd love to get dinner with you. It's a date._

Sam looks at his phone with total shock. She'd love to get dinner with him? Seriously?

When Sam exhales the breath he'd been holding onto way too hard, he relaxes a bit.

And Dean doesn't miss the reaction. "Told you."

"Shut up," Sam responds as he types back, setting up a time and offering to pick her up. "Jerk."

"You wimpy little bitch," Dean mutters while grinning ear to ear as he sips on his beer and waits for Sam to be done talking to the cute girl from the bar so they can watch The Walking Dead.

* * *

"Whoa," Lou awes as she looks around the restaurant they just walked into. Sam's right behind her after having held the door for her and he heads right for the hostess. "This place is… swanky."

The restaurant Sam picked is a new place, trendy with a menu he that held dishes he hadn't quite heard of before. He wanted to impress her so he went with it. Her reaction makes him worry a bit.

"Hi. I have a reservation for two. Sam Winchester," Sam informs the hostess as Lou continues to look at the upscale decor with wide eyes.

Quickly they get seated by the big front window on one of the main streets of Sacramento and Sam gets handed an extensive wine list. Once the hostess leaves them for a moment Sam's eyes grow very wide as he looks at the far too many options in front of him.

"Uh… so… I probably should have asked before now… but do you even drink wine?" he starts to worry right off. Why didn't he ask her about what she likes before coming here?

"I'm usually more of a beer person but I've been known to drink wine on occasion," she nods while explaining. "I mean, we do live in California." She smiles warmly at him, seeing his fear all over his face. She just wants him to relax at this point.

"Great," Sam huffs a sad laugh. "I brought you to a place that specializes in wine and you don't really drink it. I'm sorry, I should have text you and asked what you like…."

"Hold up," Lou laughs and puts her hands out, asking him to stop right there. "Dude. It's fine. This is all more than fine. I haven't been taken to a place like this in… damn, forever. I'm very happy to be here. I'm happy to drink some kick ass wine. And I'm happy to do it with you."

The way she grins at him makes him smile right back, his shoulders dropping. Damn, she's pretty cool already.

"Now, only problem I see is that I don't know what I like in wine, honestly," Lou keeps going. "I spend most days going around tasting coffee and beer to know where the competition stands. Wine doesn't factor into my line of work. So I might need some help on that… if you don't mind."

"I think I can do that," Sam says to her, looking at the list. "Red or white?"

"Uh… I've drank both and been happy," she shrugs.

"Okay… we'll go red," Sam nods. "Sweet or dry?"

She makes a face that tells him she's not sure. "If I had to guess… dry?"

"Do you know the difference from pinot noir and a solid cab sav?"

Lou bites her bottom lip for a second and then laughs.

"No. That's fine," Sam laughs a little and spots a bottle he just had recently and knows is great on the list. "I got it. As long as you like deep, serious wines with a peppery finish, I think I got this one."

"Going with you, big man," Lou keeps grinning while folding her hands onto the white table cloth.

Sam takes a second to smile back while looking at her. He doesn't really notice so much the effort she put in with her lined eyes and long blonde hair that she curled just for the date. Hell, he honestly doesn't even bother getting a good look at the deep neckline of the shirt she chose for the night. He just sees her smiling. She's beautiful.

"Good evening," a server says and interrupts the short, lovely moment. "I'm Sue. I'm going to be helping you tonight. Do you have any questions about the wine menu I can answer for you? Or maybe some recommendations?"

"I think we're good," Sam informs her. "Could we get a bottle of the Martin Ray 2009 Reserve Cab?"

The server nods enthusiastically. "Absolutely. I love that one. Serious nose and the lingering pepper… I love that bottle. Can I get you anything to go with it? I always suggest the charcuterie plate for two that's made for bold red wines."

Sam looks to Lou with a cocked eyebrow, asking if she's like that.

"What the hell, huh?" Lou says to the server. "He's still trying to impress me so let's go for it."

Sue laughs. "I'll get you set up."

She walks away and Lou and looks to Sam. "Well, shit, Sammy-boy. You know what you're talking about. Big wine drinker?"

"Uh, sometimes," Sam nods. "Truth?"

"I prefer it."

"I had this bottle at a coworker's house a month or two back. It was good so I figured why not? Most of those wines on that list… no clue."

Lou lets go of an honest laugh at that. "You more of a beer guy? Or maybe whiskey?"

"I'm more of a coffee guy," Sam corrects. "But when I do drink it's usually beer. With my brother."

"Ah, so he's just a bad influence on you?" Lou wonders lightly.

"Terrible," Sam grins. "No, he's not a bad influence. He just likes to have fun. But he's a really good guy."

"I hope so," Lou mentions, picking up a menu and looking it over.

"Why's that?" he wonders, confused.

"Because my sister's been talking about him all freakin' week," Lou complains. "So over it."

Sam wrinkles his expression and thinks about it. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. She's always showing me these texts he's been sending her and how funny they are… but they aren't _that_ funny. Kinda lame, actually," Lou looks up and finds Sam looking surprised. "What?"

"They've been texting?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Dean never said a word to me," Sam gets confused.

Lou eyes him funny. "Is it weird that he didn't?"

"Uh… yeah. It is," he answers, clearly put off by this detail. "I mean, I knew he had her number but I just figured he was trying to take her home for the night or something." Sam then realizes what he just said to Lizzy's sister. "Not that I'm saying it'd work or anything. I'm not… you know… trying to say you're sister's… um…."

"My sister's what, Sam?" Lou challenges with a serious face when he stutters about his possible misstep.

He sighs. "I'm not saying your sister's easy or anything. I'm not saying she'd fall for Dean's bullshit, is all."

Lou laughs and breaks her act. "Relax. She is easy sometimes. And honestly I'm surprised she didn't try to go home with him last Saturday in the first place."

"Right?" Sam nods, glad she's on the same page with him. "I mean, Dean's a good guy. Really good guy, which is why his one night stand shtick is super old to me by now."

"I hear that," Lou nods. "It'd be nice to see Lizzy chat up a guy for something more than a one-time deal. She claims she's too busy for that shit but I know better."

"Are you sure that your sister and my brother aren't actually the same person?"

"No. I'm not," Lou laughs. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I'm some saint over here. I've done my fair share of damage… but after a while, you know… it gets old. Sometimes…." She pauses, worried about saying too much for a first date. Then she says screw it. "Sometimes looking for something more isn't such a terrible thing."

Sam looks down at his menu and swallows hard. "It isn't a terrible thing at all." He then glances up through his hair that's hopefully shading his red cheeks from her.

"Oh man," Lou huffs a laugh and returns to reading her menu. "You are way too cute to be hanging around me…."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Oh my god!" Lou laughs as she finally swallows the sip of wine she'd taken before Sam explained the intricacies of a well done prank Dean pulled on him as kids. "That's horrible!"

"At the time… oh yeah," Sam laughs also. "I mean, my hair was falling out in clumps. I thought I was dying or something."

"Didn't you think the shampoo smelled bad!?" Lou has to question. "I mean, Nair smells like crap."

"It was a new bottle," Sam shrugs. "The last bottle ran out, a new one appeared, I used it. That easy. Just figured it was a bad smelling shampoo brand or something."

"Holy shit," Lou keeps laughing at him. "What did you do!?"

"I had to basically shave my head," Sam admits. "I went with dad to a barber and they shaved it down to Army-worthy length. I had bald spots everywhere. My crush at school made fun of me the next day."

"Aw no," Lou melts for him in that moment. "What a bitch."

"Yeah, I didn't like her all that much after that," Sam smiles with the memory that is funny in hindsight only.

"I can't picture you with short hair," Lou admits when he laughing calms. "I mean, the long hair thing just seems very… you."

"Very me, huh?" he asks her in a flirty tone.

Lou shrugs. "I like it."

"Then… I'll never cut it again," Sam bashfully answers as he picks up his wine glass and takes one of the last few sips he has left in it.

Lou just shakes her head to herself at that. He's so damn cute. He's polite. He tried so hard to impress her tonight with the hip restaurant and his chivalry. Sam is something else.

"Well, since this night went so well I guess I have to ask… why are you single?"

Shock on his face, Sam tells her, "Wow, loaded question."

"Hey, if it involves telling me personal stuff you aren't ready to then call me rude and I'll totally take it back," she assures him. "But you just seem like a catch. You have a job, a decent one all-be-it a boring sounding one." Sam chuckles at that. "You're kind and you're a damn gentleman which is rare these days. Sounds like you pay your bills, have your head on straight, you're freakin' adorable… so why are you single? What's the catch here?"

Sam nods a little and looks at her. "I could ask you the same thing, you know."

"You first."

"I… was career driven," Sam explains. "I got into Stanford and shoved my nose in the books. I've been the same ever since. I got through law school, took the bar exam, got a busy job… and that's been life."

"No girls ever?"

"There were a couple here and there but… they didn't understand. They wanted more attention than I could afford to give them and we just didn't work out. After that I didn't think it was fair to do that to another girl so I didn't bother."

Lou's eyes narrow on him. "Are you trying to let me know you'll be ignoring me a lot?"

Sam narrows his eyes right back. "Does that mean you want more than one date with me?"

It's Lou's turn to blush. "Maybe." She grins wide, biting her bottom lip quickly. "Okay, definitely. I like you."

Her honesty throws him off yet again. "Yeah, well… I like you too."

They look at each other silently for a moment, way too giddy internally that they're both into each other.

"Okay, your turn," Sam reminds her. "I need to know why an ambitious and talented and beautiful girl like you is alone."

Eyebrow cocked, Lou asks, "Beautiful?"

Sam looks away, shy all of a sudden.

"Well, I guess my story is similar to yours in the past year," Lou tells him. "I have a business. It'll be a year that we've been open in about a month and it's been… a trip and a half. That's my baby and I've worked so hard to make it happen. We've been turning a real profit the last two quarters and we see a really big future for Brewtopia, maybe even a couple small satellite locations to sell serious coffee to busy guys like yourself. I want to expand. And that takes a lot of my time."

"So, basically… we're both career oriented and busy as hell."

"Sounds like it," Lou nods. "But hey, at least I understand your need to be career driven and all."

"I'd say that's a plus," Sam agrees as his phone vibrates in his pocket. After the day he had at work he knows he should at least check to see if it's important. Sounds like Lou would understand.

Pulling out his phone he sees a text from Dean.

 _And? You still out with Lou? Or IN with Lou? How's it going? Give me something, man!_

Sam huffs a laugh at the curious text.

"What's up?" Lou asks as she finishes her wine.

"My brother," Sam tells her. "He's asking how the date's going."

"What are you gonna tell him?" Lou flirts.

Sam starts typing as he answers. "I'm telling him this has been the best date I've been on in… ever."

"Smart man," Lou smirks at him.

Sam grins back, this having happened over and over throughout the night, as he presses send.

 _Finishing up dinner. Really good time. I probably be seeing her again. Lou says hi._

"So?" Sam asks, looking back to Lou. "You ready?"

"No… but I think we don't have a choice," she looks around, all other patrons gone by now. "They need to close up at some point."

"Probably," Sam says as he gets up, repocketing his phone. Lou does the same. They head for the door and Sam holds it for her.

"Why, thank you," she grins up at him, a hand pressed to his chest flirtatiously as she walks through. They head to Sam's car together, neither talking but both happy to be in each other's company.

After opening the car door for her and getting her into the passenger side of his Prius like a true gentleman, Sam walks to the driver's side. His phone buzzes again as he gets in and he checks.

 _Hi back at her!_

Sam simply laughs when he sees the picture attached. He holds it out for Lou to see as he tells her, "I don't think we're the only ones enjoying our night."

Lou looks and laughs also. The picture Dean sent is a selfie of him and Lizzy taken at Brewtopia. He's leaning over the bar and Lizzy is standing behind it, both with wide, goofy smiles and a thumbs up.

"Ah, now I know why Lizzy wasn't so upset by taking an extra shift for me this week," Lou mentions.

"You took a night off for this?" Sam asks, worried.

"I _am_ the boss, aren't I?" she challenges. "Plus, I generally only take night shifts for other employees. Someone asked for the night off, I was going to take it. Instead, I had Lizzy do it."

"I didn't want to interfere with your work is all," Sam apologetically tells her.

"You didn't," Lou tells him, reaching over to hand back his phone. "I got the shift covered. I did my job. And all work and no play makes Lou a very, very dull girl."

"I feel like my brother has said that very same thing to me before," Sam admits and starts the car. "But calling me a dull boy. Well… actually, he probably called me a girl..."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Well, looks like your brother is all set for the night," Lizzy comments as she continues to clear the bar towards the end of the night.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Dean grins wide at the idea. His Sammy, finally getting somewhere with a girl and letting his long-ass hair down.

"What about you?" Lizzy wonders, dropping a rag onto the bar and wiping it down. She glances at him out of the corner of her eyes as she works. "Are you set for the night?"

Dean cocks an eyebrow and leans onto his elbows at this stool, his last pint of beer already drained. "Depends, I guess."

After a full night of talking while working her shift, Lizzy's gotten a really good vibe from Dean. He's much more intelligent than he looks, or even realizes, and they've never struggled for a topic. From classic rock bands to cars to pop culture to sci-fi lit, Dean's been a pleasure to be around.

And the fact that he looks the way he does with a killer smile and the confidence to back up the model-worthy good looks doesn't hurt all that much either.

"Depends on what?" Lizzy asks, her playful tone clear to him as she stacks more glasses into the dishwasher.

Dean huffs a laugh and licks his lips, contemplating how to say what's in his brain. She's fascinating. She's damn funny. And hot isn't a good enough word for what she is. Damn it. He wants to go home with her but….

"Look," Dean starts and the serious tone gets her to walk over to him. She leans her back into the counter behind the bar and listens to him. "I, uh… I don't normally say this to a girl but… I kinda like you."

"Aww…"

"Shut up," he stops her patronizing right away. She laughs brightly and he's reminded of one of the many reasons he digs her. That laugh is stunning. "I'm just trying to say that… well, normally I would have tried to take you home the night I met you."

"What's so not normal about me then?" Lizzy asks, really liking the idea of a one night stand with him. She's made that clear to him through the night.

"Like I said, I like you," Dean explains somewhat.

"You usually don't like the girls you sleep with?" she grins, knowing she's just being difficult.

"Sometimes I do," Dean jokes right back. "But… I don't want just a one-time fling with you. You're fun."

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Lizzy plays with him some more, leaning onto the bar on her elbows and giving Dean a shot down her shirt on purpose.

His eyes drift briefly but he quickly returns to her eyes. "Nice try."

"I thought so." Lizzy sighs. "Dean, I am not on the market. I'm not looking for anything that will tie me down, okay? I'm just… I'm not. I'm just being me and having fun. And, honestly, you look like fun."

"Oh, I'm very fun," he promises.

"And if the sex is good then… who said it has to be a one-time thing?"

Dean nods, not hating the sound of that.

"Plus, friends can have sex and not make it a big fucking deal about it," Lizzy points out to him. "So… what do you say? Friend fuck?"

As she looks at him with high expectation, Dean isn't sure what to say. He was all ready to break his usual cycle and do things right. He was going to try and ask her on a real date and suck up his pride. He got Sam to do it so why can't he follow his own advice?

But she doesn't want that. She's not the relationship type and who is he to argue with that? He's never really been the relationship type either.

"I'm not sure you can handle my kinda fun, sweetheart," Dean cockily tells her, feeling himself revert to his default ways all too easily.

The way she brightly smiles at him for that makes it worth it though. "You have no idea what I can handle."

"Am I about to find out?"

"You give me fifteen to close up and you sure will," she tells him with a sultry tone, walking away with an extra sway of excitement in her hips.

Dean smiles. All along he thought he was going to have to do something different, act like someone he wasn't, for this girl. Come to find out she's just him with boobs.

Awesome.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Pulling up in front of the apartment complex Lou lives in, Sam looks to her and grins. "I had a lot of fun."

"So did I," Lou smiles sweetly. "And, honestly, I'm not really ready for the night to end."

"Oh… I, uh…." Immediately Sam turns right back into the stuttering awkward guy he was before their date. He relaxed, let himself go, and had fun until now. But the idea of more?

"Hey, calm down, big man," Lou laughs slightly, all at his expense. "I mean, you're super cute when you get all nervous in front of me but I'm not looking to pressure you or us into anything. All I'm saying is I like your company, it's only midnight, and I have a new roast I've been working on sitting upstairs and looking for a guinea pig to let me know how it is."

Sam's shoulders drop in relaxation. No pressure.

"You in?" Lou wonders.

"Yeah," Sam nods and turns into the parking lot to park his car. "I can drink your coffee and hang out."

"Good," she bites her bottom lip, happy that he's not leaving just yet. "And I want honesty, okay? No lying and saying it's good if it sucks." She points at him accusingly.

"God's honest, I'll tell you the truth," Sam smiles her way, happy to know he can get more time with her and not have the pressure to make it more than it should be.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Okay… not what I expected," Lizzy comments as Dean lets her into his place.

"Can't tell if that's a good or bad thing," Dean comments, locking the door behind himself before walking towards her.

"Well, you own a house," she mentions, taking in the details around her. "So that's something."

"Were you expecting a cardboard box?" he gets slightly offended.

"No. An apartment, though," Lizzy tells him truthfully.

"I've done alright," Dean winks at her.

"Mechanics make that much?" Lizzy wonders, not being insulting but learning something.

"When you own your own garage you do," he explains easily.

"Oh. It all makes more sense now. You're _the man_." She grins wide.

"That's one way of putting it. Sure." He grins wide right back. "Or just boss works, too."

"Also, I wasn't expecting a dude to have so many family pictures around." She points to the mantle in the living room. It's all framed family photographs. "And the place is… kind of clean."

"I cleaned the other day," Dean fesses up, walking right up to her and standing in front of her. "My mom came by."

"That's gotta be the one thing that can get a guy to clean properly," Lizzy laughs a little as she lets her hands reach out to him. Her fingers find the top of his jeans, dipping in just slightly before pulling him in closer. "You don't wanna talk about your mom right now though… do you?"

"God, no," Dean admits, looking into her brown eyes that are already playfully staring back.

"You don't have some weird mommy kink or anything, right?" Lizzy jokes as she pops the button on his pants open. "Because I'm not too sure I can stick around if you do. I like a lot of things but that ain't one of them." She drops his fly at that.

"What _are_ you into then?" Dean asks, his voice lower as he takes up the lapels of her black leather moto jacket and slides it down her arms and onto the floor.

She grins so wide he can swear he sees all of her perfect white teeth.

"I'm into foot stuff," she says simply, her face not showing if she's serious of not.

"Foot stuff?" Dean asks, making sure he heard her correctly.

"Oh yeah," Lizzy grins mischievously up at him as one of her hands comes up to the back of his head and her fingers comb through the short hair there. She pulls him down a little. "Love feet. And getting golden showers."

" _Really_?" Dean questions with fear, not sure about this.

She pauses when his lips are just a couple inches from hers. She lightens up with a huge smile. "Not really."

Lizzy then finishes pulling him in and kisses him. Her lips start slow and light, testing the waters as if she wants to see if they're compatible.

The second their lips meet for the first time they both melt into the moment, something about it just right. The way they move closer to each other, the quick and barely there slide of tongue to tongue, the synchronization of their breathing… everything is just right. And so good.

"Mm," Lizzy hums to herself through the kiss, her hips pressing into his as she knows already this is going to be one _very_ good night. "Love your lips."

Dean's hands tangle into her long, dark hair with that and he keeps kissing her, brain unable to even respond. Usually he can talk a good game during moments like this but this connection he's feeling already has him too distracted to try. And god, she smells so good. Like cherries and vanilla. She smells warm and inviting and he needs more of her.

"Show me the rest of your house," Lizzy whispers against his lips as her hand that had been on the waist of his jeans travels down and slides over the now hard bulge in his pants.

Breathing out hard once, he just looks at her for a split second before grabbing her hand off of the denim cloth and pulling her along. "Come on."

She follows easily down a short hall in what seems to be a small, cute house. He opens a door and pulls her inside, wasting no time in getting his lips to hers again.

Lizzy giggles with his enthusiasm, loving that he's as ready and excited for this as she is. She kisses him back with playful determination as she grabs the bottom hem of his t-shirt and swiftly pulls it over his head.

"Oh god, you're awesome," Dean tells her in a pant as he reaches for her low cut, black t-shirt to do the same. When it's gone he kneels to the carpet below her, dropping down without any smoothness. He lets his tongue drag across her flat stomach from left to right before he looks up at her.

She smiles with full blown lust as her hands rake through his hair and he's done. "Shit, you're fun," she tells him, delighted.

Face first into her cleavage, he motorboats her still bra-covered breasts as she erupts with laughter.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Oh my god," Sam announces after swallowing down the sip of hot coffee Lou just brewed up in her French press.

"Really?" Lou asks, eyes hopeful and smile tugging at the corner of her mouth with pride.

"Really. This is… _really_ good," Sam assures her as he takes another big mouthful from the handcrafted mug in his hands. "What is it?"

"All Arabica," she explains. "I took the darkest Arabic I could find from Guatemala and blended it with even darker Brazilian and Colombian beans. I think it's pretty kick ass and super bold but still smooth enough to not kick you in the ass with acid."

"I have no idea anything about coffee past what I like but I'm sure what you just said was super impressive," Sam admits and Lou laughs at his honesty. "This is like… perfection in a cup."

"Even better than the Sumatran?" Lou challenges as she sips her own coffee and stares at him from across the kitchen island in her apartment.

Sam makes a surprised face that she remembered what his usual favorite at her shop was. "Even better. I would get this every morning if you put it on the menu."

"Maybe I'll give it a test run this week then," she grins at him and watches him sip again, the pleasant look on his face proving he's truthful about her coffee. "Thanks for the honesty."

"No, thank _you_ ," Sam corrects.

As they sip, Sam sitting in his stool at the island and Lou standing across, they fall into a silence. It's comfortable. It's actually kind of nice. Nothing feels forced or awkward at all.

When Sam licks his lips absently, pulling in more flavor from his drink, Lou sighs. She already knows he's not one to push too much or dive into anything too quickly. But through the night she couldn't help from staring at just how handsome the guy is. He's so cute yet quite sharp and stately at the same time. She's never seen such a combination on a man before. When he smiles he's all sunshine and puppies. When he gets serious, like when listening to her talk, he's brooding and GQ-esque. He has a lighter side but he's also very uptight. He's a mix of so many things that he's very hard to read.

All she knows is he's just been one big turn on all night. Intellectually he's a blast, able to speak on any and everything with knowledge. And he's fun at times. That's always a way to a girl's heart. And physically… well, what needs to be said. He's six and a half feet of god damned beauty. And in his sweater and jeans combination she can tell he's a well maintained man, taking care of himself.

"Come sit with me," Lou suggests and nods for the open living room area.

Sam gets up and follows her to the couch. Once they settle in on opposite ends, both getting more comfortable, the silence once more sets in.

"You're pretty shy, huh?" Lou asks him, eyeing him from the space left between them.

"I, uh… I guess so," Sam nods slightly. "Not always."

"When are you not shy?" Lou challenges.

"In court."

Lou laughs. "That makes no sense."

Sam laughs too. "I can see how to most people that wouldn't make sense. But for some reason I'm fine while presenting cases. Maybe because I rehearse it… and I know what I'm going to say before I get there. I know the case up and down before I ever head to a court. Most other times in life… I can't be that prepared."

Looking at him with a happy, renewed expression, she tells him, "That actually makes total sense now. Never would have thought of it that way."

Sam, looks down at his cup before taking another sip, glad she can understand him a little better.

"So women… they make you nervous because you can't prepare for encountering them?"

Thinking about it, he tells her, "I guess so. Yeah."

"We're too unpredictable for you?" Lou asks him playfully.

"Most I've met… yes," Sam huffs a laugh.

"Okay. Fair… but what if I told you what I was going to do before I did it?" Lou makes a game out of his reserved ways. "Like… what if I told you right now that in about one minute I'm coming over there and I'm going to kiss you because I've been thinking about doing that all night anyways? Would that help?"

Eyes wide, Sam doesn't know how to respond.

"You can tell me not to do that if you want," Lou smiles warmly, not looking to freak him out.

Sam purposefully doesn't respond, just gives her a slight, tiny smile.

Taking that as a green light, Lou places her mug on the coffee table before scooting smoothly down the length of the couch. She sits facing him and leaves no space. Taking his cup and adding to hers, Lou then turns and smiles invitingly at Sam.

"I like you," she tells him, just wanting him to be aware that she's doing this not simply out of attraction.

Sam blushes hard, cheeks flushing pink before he can do anything about it. "I… I really like you, too," he manages to get out without looking at her and choosing his lap to stare at instead.

"Good," Lou tells him, her hand coming up to the side of his jaw. She stays there a quick moment before pulling him in.

Lips meeting, Sam relaxes a touch. She likes him. She said so, made sure to say so. And she's kissing him. This is all good stuff. Because through the night, looking at her while speaking about life and watching her laugh with bright blue eyes and a carefree attitude, he'd come to find that he truly does like her too. A lot.

Lou scoots closer, her body pressed to his as she boldly climbs into his lap. She sits sideways and brings her one hand from his jaw to the back of his head, making sure he knows this is what she wants.

When his hands land on her back she knows she can keep kissing him, the shy man finding his bravery quickly enough.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Fuck, that was so hot," Dean tells her, leaning in to her ear and speaking low as she tries to catch her breath with her forehead once more pressed to the wall. "I knew you were cute but _damn_ , sweetheart."

Lizzy huffs out a breathy laugh with that. "I'm just trying to get mine, dude. Mm. Hot damn, that was so _fucking_ good."

Dean kisses her shoulder once. Turning her around to face him with his hands on her hips, he swiftly reaches down and lifts her up off the floor with his arms under her knees.

"You mind if I get mine then?" he asks her, grinning a bit with her wild hair and heaving chest.

She grins wide as he walks her to his bed, finally making it there for the first time that night, and drops her onto it.

"Well, I feel I do owe you after all that," she tells him in a sultry voice, backing up on the mattress and making him chase her up it as he crawls towards her. "What do you want?"

When he reaches her he wrap an arm around her back and flips them, putting her on top of him as he lies on his back. He gets her knees to either side of his hips and he grabs her ass. When she looks down at him he smirks as both hands come down onto both her ass cheeks at the same time with a nice loud slap. "Ride 'em, cowgirl," he answers with a wink.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Maybe he should stop this. His brain can't stop thinking he should.

But it's so nice….

No. He doesn't even know her well enough yet. He just knows she's something worth not rushing into. This is too much too soon. This is a bad idea.

"Lou," Sam says between kisses after having been on the couch making out with her as if they're still teenagers for quite a long time.

"Hm?" is all Lou gets out as she keeps kissing him, her hands absorbing the feel of his torso as they snuck under his casual sweater a while ago. He's ripped. Like, seriously ripped. And she's addicted to the feel of his skin over hard muscle.

"Maybe…" he tries to speak but gets pulled back into her lips, her beautiful full lips that are sexier than he can describe. He's watched them as she spoke all night and they're more perfect than he could have guessed before they got to the couch. He tries again. "Maybe we should… slow down."

"We haven't done anything," Lou smirks, backing away a touch as she sits up. They'd over time maneuvered until Sam was on his back on her couch and she was laying on top of him. She pulls her hands from his shirt.

"I know, I just… I didn't want to push this too far, you know?" Sam asks if she agrees.

"I don't think I know," she shakes her head a little and sits up, her face disappointed.

"I, uh…" Sam starts and already he knows his former confidence is waning. "I just… I don't want to rush this too quickly."

Lou's eyes widen with surprise at that.

"I know, I'm probably being super lame. And I'm sorry for that," Sam tells her, his hands on her jean-covered knees as he looks away with embarrassment. "But I wasn't kidding. I didn't want to rush this because… I really do like you."

Lou huffs a laugh at him. "What are we, sixteen?"

Sam's face falls with the comment.

"No! I was joking!" Lou apologizes quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. It was just so cute and, honestly… I don't usually hang with guys that want to take it slow."

"Maybe you've been hanging around the wrong guys," Sam suggests, eyes locking on hers again. "I want to do this right. I want to see you a few more times and take our time getting to… the physical part."

"I don't know. The last half hour has felt pretty damn physical," Lou jokes as she climbs off of Sam's body and stands up, taking the mugs from the coffee table. She smirks at him knowingly before heading for the kitchen.

"I think you know what I mean," Sam rebuts, sitting up and fixing his sweater and then his hair.

"I do. And that's very respectful, Sam," Lou lets him know as she dumps out the now cold coffee to refill with some still hot coffee. "I can see what your intentions are. It's kinda refreshing actually… even if I'd love to peel those clothes off of you and have a real good time."

"Ha," Sam awkwardly laughs at that as he stands up. Quickly, while facing away from her, he adjusts himself so that his level of turn on isn't completely obvious through his fitted jeans. He finishes just as Lou walks up next to him, mug offered to him. "Oh, it's late. I figured I'd head out…."

"Sit your ass down," Lou grins at him and takes a seat on the couch. "If you're not gonna get down with me then you at least have to stay up a little later and watch something with me."

"It's midnight."

"Are you eighty?"

Sam just laughs and sits down. "Alright, I deserved that."

"Yes you did," Lou tells him and picks up the remote from the coffee table. She turns on the TV and asks, "What kinda stuff do you watch?"

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Hands behind his head on his pillow, naked form stretched down the length of his bed, Dean sighs with a contented smile. What a damn night.

He hasn't felt this good in so long. Lizzy is… what isn't she? She's so hot it hurts to look at her. He body moves with sheer sex and every second of being with her physically was what Dean could only call perfection. The sex was amazing, like best ever amazing, and he just plain likes her. She's funny, she's quick, she's sarcastic without being a bitch. She's gorgeous and fun… she's everything.

And when she comes back into the room from the bathroom while wearing nothing at all still he can't believe his luck.

"Well… that was fun," Lizzy tells him with emphasis and a grin as she bends down to get her underwear from the floor.

"Yes it was," Dean says to her, looking down the bed to watch her.

"I _really_ needed that," she huffs a laugh, slipping her black panties up her long legs as he views it all. Even her putting clothes _on_ is a hell of a thing to see.

"I know what you mean," Dean nods a little.

"Been a while?" Lizzy asks, scanning the room until her bra comes into view. She walks for it and takes it off his dresser.

"Eh, long enough," Dean explains simply. It hasn't really. "Well, long enough since I had _that much_ fun, at least."

"Right!?" she smiles, clasping her bra in place. "I mean, we're good together."

"Definitely," Dean wholeheartedly replies but his face drops when she starts to pulls her jeans on. "You going somewhere?"

"Ah, yeah," Lizzy says, thinking it obvious. "I'm heading home."

"You don't have to," Dean tries to sound unaffected as he sits up and offers. "You can stay longer."

"Oh, I don't do sleepovers," Lizzy denies. "Morning awkwardness and cuddling… no. Not my thing."

"Who said anything about cuddling or morning?" Dean asks, his plan slipping through his fingers. He had already been trying desperately to remember if he had bacon in the house. "I was just hoping to chill out a minute, maybe go for a round two if you'd be down."

Lizzy pauses and looks at him, eyes narrowing as she thinks. "Nah. I need to get going." She finishes buttoning and zipping her pants.

His heart drops at that. "Oh. Okay. I see how it is."

"How it is?" Lizzy grins with his clearly joking tone.

"Yeah. You're one of _those_ girls," Dean calls her out in an overtop way as he stands up and grabs his boxer briefs from the carpet and pulls them on.

"Those girls?" she laughs.

"Yeah. All you want is sex," Dean pretends to be hurt as he scoops up her shirt and walks for her. He holds it out in offer while telling her, "Just use 'em and lose 'em. You're so typical for your gender."

She snatches her t-shirt back and laughs hardily at that. "You're ridiculous."

"So, is this gonna work for you?" he wonders as she finishes getting dressed. "Just fucking and leaving? Being friends?"

"Is it gonna work for _you_?" she counters.

"Hey, I asked first."

"You're a child," Lizzy name calls. "And yes. I think you're fun. In and out of the bedroom. I want to be friends. And I want sex sometimes."

"I can do that," Dean nods, knowing what a gem he's just found.

"No commitment," Lizzy keeps going. "Just keeping the party going, right?"

"Right."

Boots slipped on, Lizzy looks up at him with a smile. "You're good at all this."

"All this?"

"Sex. You're just… you're damn good at it."

"Aw…" Dean jokes again and pushes her in the shoulder.

"You're lame," she tells him and heads out of his bedroom for her purse that she dropped by his front door. "Alright. I'm out."

"You working tomorrow night?" Dean asks as casually as he can manage.

"Always," she nods.

"Maybe I'll come by then," Dean offers, trying to see if two nights in a row would be too much for her.

"I'll be there," she brushes it off. "If not, you can text me later in the week."

"Sounds good."

"Goodnight," Lizzy grins, her smile wide and still stunning, as she opens the door. She winks at him and shuts the door, her car starting up soon after as she leaves.

Dean can't help but be overly concerned with how excited he is to have a fuck buddy that hot and well matched… and how hurt he is deep down to not have her stay longer.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Quietly unlocking the door to their apartment, Lizzy pushes the door open. She walks in and looks around, grinning at what she finds.

The TV is on and the pilot episode of Preacher is just finishing up. Unfortunately no one is watching it as the two people on the couch are fast asleep on each other.

Smirking, Lizzy shoves the door shut with a boom.

"Hm!" Lou says as they're both startled awake. She sits up quickly and gets off of Sam while he takes his arm back from around her shoulders. When she sees Lizzy grinning by the door she groans with annoyance. "Bitch."

"Hello, sunshines," Lizzy greets brightly and tosses her purse on the kitchen table. "Looks like you had an exciting night!"

"Shut up," Lou gripes as they both wake up and stand from the couch.

"Well, I had a lovely night… probably more exciting than yours," Lizzy jokes. "But I'm now pooped. Night, you crazy kids!"

Once Lizzy disappears to her room in the apartment Lou looks at Sam and tells him, "I hate her."

"No you don't," Sam laughs and runs his hands through his hair to tame it. "I better get going."

"Okay," Lou nods and walks to the door with him. "I'm glad you stayed, even if we passed out."

"Me too," Sam nods happily.

"And try Preacher again," she suggests. "Great show. I promise."

"Will do."

Sam stares down at her a moment, working up his nerve, before he ducks down and presses a quick, lovely kiss to her lips. "I'll call you."

"Please do," Lou responds, clearly smitten with the very polite man.

"Goodnight," Sam departs, opening the door.

"Goodnight, Sam," Lou responds as he disappears down the stairwell. Once he's out of sight she sighs and locks up for the night. She leans her back against the door and has one of those totally girly moments in which she just smiles to herself. She's totally taken by him.

"Seriously!?"

Lou looks up to see Lizzy brushing her teeth in the hallway looking at her. "What?"

"I thought you two would have been naked on the couch… not sleeping," Lizzy tells her with total let down. "I'm disappointed in you."

"Fuck off. I like him," Lou pushes off the door and heads for her room.

"You _like_ him?" Lizzy laughs a little.

"Yeah, I do. I honestly like him," she responds in a huffy voice like a sister would. "And unlike you I don't fuck everyone on the first date."

"Dates are lame," Lizzy rolls her eyes. "Can't get hurt if you don't date."

"Dad really did a number on you, didn't he?" Lou accuses. "Someday you're gonna have to get over it and find someone for more than a night."

"Says who?" Lizzy juvenilely challenges.

"Says the laws of how to be a happy human being before you die." Lou rolls her eyes and disappears into her room, door shut to close Lizzy out.

"For what it's worth, he's super hot!" Lizzy shouts through the door. "He's totally be worth waiting for!"

"Goodnight!" Lou cuts her off and gets ready for bed, all with a grin on her face.


	4. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 3)

**Note: This chapter has been edited from it's original form for compliance with the M rating on FanFiction. For the full, MA version of this chapter please visit this same story on Archive of Our Own. The story title and chapter title are the same. The author name is DeepLittleSOB. The link to my Dashboard is in my profile.**

* * *

 **SIX MONTHS LATER**

"Why are we going here?" Lizzy asks as she looks at the nice little restaurant in Sacramento she and Lou are standing in front of. It's cute, it's trendy, and it's nowhere she'd ever go on an average day.

"I heard good things," Lou shrugs, reaching for the front door and pulling it open.

"A wine bar and restaurant!?" Lizzy disbelieves and doesn't walk into the open held door. "We don't even drink wine. We drink beer."

"Wine isn't bad on occasion," Lou rebuts. "Sam's got me drinking a bottle now and then."

"Conformist," Lizzy name calls. "Why don't we just go to that bar we passed down the street? They had over a hundred taps. We could check out some local stuff and report back to Garth. Research night…."

"We're here, okay," Lou tells her stubborn sister. She then waves a hand in gesture to get her through the door. "Let's just try the place. The food is killer."

Lizzy crosses her arms. "How would you know that?"

Lou rolls her eyes. "Went here with Sam before."

Shaking her head, Lizzy walks through the restaurant door saying, "I don't even know you anymore."

Once inside the small place, Lizzy stands there waiting for Lou to check in with the hostess.

"Hi," Lou grins at the young woman behind the podium.

"Lou, how are you?" she grins wide back and grabs a couple menus.

"Good. How are you, Gretchen?" Lou remains very cordial and immediately Lizzy is on high alert with their familiarity.

"You know. Same old. Your table is ready," Gretchen tells her and starts walking. "The rest of your party is already here."

Lizzy follows with confusion. "Rest of our party? What the hell is…?"

"Lizzy?"

Hearing her voice, Lizzy looks ahead of them to the table they're being lead to. Sitting there is Sam on one side, Lou heading right for him to give him a quick and very comfortable kiss hello. Across from Sam sits Dean. The confused expression he's wearing has to be the very same she's got on her own face.

"Dean!?" Lizzy gets upset right away. She looks over to her sister. "What the hell is going on?"

"We're having dinner," Lou tells her with wide eyes, silently giving her the 'lower your voice' notice. "Sit down."

The fire burning in her gut is growing by the second. She's pissed.

But being in public she knows better and plops into her seat with a huff. She grits her teeth and waits for Gretchen to leave before lowering her voice and tearing into them. "We have told the two of you time and time again…."

"We know. You're not together. We get it," Lou assures her.

"Do you!?" Dean jumps in, looking at his brother in a similar way that Lizzy is staring down her sister. "This right here feels like maybe you don't."

"This isn't a date," Sam responds. "We're all just sitting here and having dinner. Plus, friends can have dinner together. You are _just friends_ , right?"

Lizzy and Dean both grit their teeth with anger over the way he says it.

"A fact the both of you love to not hear," Lizzy accuses. "What are you trying to do?"

Lou takes a deep breath and feels Sam's hand clamp down on her knee below the table. She glances at him next to her and he nods, giving her the go ahead to say all the two of them have been thinking lately. "You've known each other for six months now. And you're still doing your weird, dance around each other, hook up all the time bullshit. Well, we're sick of it."

Both Dean and Lizzy sit up a little taller with what Lou says to them.

"You're sick of it?" Lizzy bites in question.

"Yeah, we are," Lou confirms as Sam nods, agreeing.

"What the fuck does what Dean and I do have to do with you both?" Lizzy asks them both.

"Look," Sam starts in, looking to take at least a little heat for this since it was both he and Lou's idea to try this out. "It's pretty clear to both of us that there's something there between you. You both like the same things, you get along really well… you have sex all the time…."

"Make a point, Sam," Dean warns with an edge.

"Hey, you two!" a server shows up at the very wrong time. She recognizes Lou and Sam right away. "Good to see you back again."

"Hi Sue," Sam grins.

"Drinks?"

"Our usual bottle?" Sam suggests, looking to Lou for confirmation. She nods. "And four glasses."

"I'll have a whiskey. Double. Neat," Dean jumps in, making it clear he doesn't do wine.

"Do you pour triples?" Lizzy asks with clear annoyance.

"Um… I don't think…." Sue starts to respond, never having been asked that before.

"I'll just have what he's having," Lizzy tells her and jerks her thumb at Dean to indicate she wants whiskey. Now.

"I'll be back," Sue smiles before leaving in a hurry with the bad vibe at the table.

It gets quiet for a second before Dean leans forward and tells his brother, "Make a point, Sam. And quick."

Sam sighs. "Lou and I are happy. Like, _really_ happy. And we want that for you guys too."

"I'm happy," Lizzy speaks up in a voice that doesn't sound anything like happiness. "Dean, you happy?" she asks him without looking away from Sam.

"Ecstatic. You?"

"Simply joyful," Lizzy adds to it. "We're just fine. You two can be the perfect little couple, go on your dates to bullshit trendy spots, let the world be all rosy as you hold hands and skip and do whatever the hell it is you two typical people do. I've never been anything but encouraging of your relationship. Hell, I actually think Sam's great for you," she pointedly says to her sister.

"Preach," Dean comments, letting Lizzy do all the talking as she's nailing it all.

"But I'm not you," she tells her sister.

"And I'm not you either, Sammy," Dean says to his brother. "We're fine the way we are."

"So you're fine hooking up the rest of your lives and not having anything deeper?" Sam challenges. "You don't want to have a home? A family? You're just gonna hook up with someone forever?"

"Him and whoever else I choose that night, sure," Lizzy nods. "Why does everyone have to be so family, big house, white picket fence obsessed? What if I like my space?"

Lou blows out a hard breath and regrets this attempts completely. It's backfiring so hard. "Lizzy, I don't want you to wake up one day, alone, regretting your choices. I want you to be happy. The real happy. Not whatever happy you think you are now. I know you well enough. You aren't happy this way."

"Neither are you, Dean," Sam tells his brother.

And appalled silence hits the table, only broken up by the delivery of drinks.

"Martin Ray 2009 Reserve Cab," Sue announces as she uncorks the bottle. She places the four glasses on the table. "Four, in case you two change your mind." She smiles at the obviously upset pair across from her regulars. "And whiskey for you both." She places their glasses. "I'll be back for your food order."

She rushes away, not liking the angry feeling the foursome is creating.

Dean picks up his glass and looks to Lizzy. "Cheers, darling," he sarcastically says, holding his glass to her.

Lizzy picks hers up too. "To being loose and irresponsible."

"Don't forget unhappy and abnormal," Dean adds in

They clink glasses and down their double shots in one go.

"You know, honey bun. I saw a bar just down the street," Lizzy says to Dean, her voice also still sharp. "What do you think, sweetie? Date night?"

"Would love to, sweetheart."

Dean and Lizzy get up while glaring at their siblings.

"Dude, come on," Sam grumbles, knowing what a disaster this all was. "Just sit down and eat. It's on us. We won't force anything on you anymore."

Lizzy marches for the door before she can hear any more. Dean stays a moment, looking between the two of them. "We're happy for you both," he says, sincerity in his tone. He means it. "We really are. And we love you both. But you have to stop. Not everyone is like you. We accept you. Figure out how to accept us, whether you like how we choose to live or not."

With that Dean leaves, walking through the door Lizzy's holding for him. They then head up the street and out of sight of the picture window in the restaurant.

Stunned silence hits for a good minute before Sam breathes out hard. "Wow."

"No shit," Lou comments right back. She looks at him. "I thought this was gonna work out better."

"Me too," Sam says with near confusion.

"I mean, the other night I caught them cuddled up on the couch watching a movie…"

"And they went to that car show in San Fran for the night… that's damn near a couple's weekend," Lou comments, not getting what they did wrong. "They're practically a couple already."

"Well, practically," Sam nods. "Dean did bring some other girl home last weekend."

Lou's face falls. "Shit. Lizzy brought some annoying guy home a few nights back too."

"I don't get it," Sam tells her, picking up the open bottle and pouring as they both need it. "Why are they fighting it so hard?"

"Lizzy?" Lou bites her bottom lip a second before telling him, "Our dad."

Sam looks to her with confusion.

"He was a serial cheater," Lou spills the truth of their past that she never told Sam. "He stepped out on mom so many times… it was a mess and mom was always hurt. I'm sure, for Lizzy, settling down is setting herself up for the pain mom went through. So she just… doesn't."

Sam places the bottle on the table and looks at his girl with true concern. "I'm sorry you went through that."

Lou shrugs. "Life is what it is."

He hooks an arm around her shoulders and hugs her. He kisses her cheek and tells her, "You know I wouldn't ever do that to you, right? Ever."

Lou smiles up at him. "That's why I'm with you. I know you wouldn't."

Sam smiles and kisses her lips once. "I love you."

She grins even wider. She then takes her glass and downs a big sip. "Well, I'm not letting them ruin my night out. Why don't we order way too much food and then head back to my place for coffee?"

"Just coffee?" Sam cocks and eyebrow.

"If we're reliving our first date… just coffee."

"Can we not relive our first date?" Sam smiles innocently while asking for something not so innocent.

"I love you, too," Lou laughs a little and kisses him back.

Sam's head starts to think. He knows what he's going to do to fix their night. He had planned for this to go a little differently but now that he knows her and Lizzy's past he wants Lou to understand how serious he is about them.

"What are thinking?" Sam asks her, arm still around her shoulders as he picks up a menu to share.

"Uh, everything," Lou laughs, loving the whole menu since they've tried it all after having been there so many times.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"I mean, come on!" Lizzy nearly shouts as she slurs her words, leaning onto the bar and angling her body to look right at Dean. "Why can't she get out of my ass 'bout this?"

"Don't know," Dean answers with a lilt in his tone, just as drunk.

They left that restaurant pissed off as all hell and they did what they both always do. They drank away the anger.

Well… not really. They drank and the anger stayed.

"It's none a' their business," Lizzy tells him as if they haven't been through this several times already. "I like hanging out with you. We have good sex."

"Awesome sex," Dean points at her drunkenly, eyes glazed with the correction.

"Sorry. Awesome sex. And so what if we've been fucking for a while now. It's not like we're exclusive or something."

Dean pauses and looks at her funny. "You still hooking up with other guys?"

Lizzy's brow lowers. "Aren't you?"

Looking at her, something tugging at his heart over hearing that she still has one night stands with other dudes. "Well, girls. But… yeah." It's the truth. He still is seeing other women sometimes.

"Me too. Whatever," Lizzy plays it off, tossing out the idea that he's been with other girls in the past months. It's too weird to think about. "Just because we get along… why does that… uh, auto… matically mean we gotta be married and shit?"

"I don't wanna get married."

"Me neither!' Lizzy shouts happily in return. "I'm not set… setting myself up for distaster like that."

Dean laughs into his pint glass, eyes crinkling in the corners.

"What?" Lizzy asks, missing what was funny.

"You said distaster."

"What!?" Lizzy asks, downing the rest of her beer in a couple sips.

"You said distaster… instead of distaster. Uh, _disaster_. Fuck, I can't even say it now."

"God, I'm… I'm fucking plastered," Lizzy admits, blinking slowly a few times with what a waste case she's become.

"With you. Yes. Plastered," Dean nods, his head bobbling unsteady. "I can't drive back to Davis."

"Me neither." Lizzy sighs. "Shoulda… thought 'bout this before we drank too much."

"Yeah," Dean agrees, finishing his pint also. He then pulls out his wallet and starts to count out what he hopes is enough for their tab and tip. He doesn't feel like conversing with the bartender in his state.

"Wait! I owe half," Lizzy tells him, grabbing her purse from where it is hanging off the back of the stool.

"Nah, forget it," Dean tells her, paying for everything they drank even if it was a lot.

"Then I'll get the cab back…"

"Kay… shit. But if we get a cab tonight… then I gotta come back tomorrow and get Baby… nah. Don't wanna leave her for the night."

"She's a big girl. She can handle herself," Lizzy jokes with him, eyes unfocused.

"Let's just get a room or something." Dean takes out his phone and sloppily tries to find something reasonable in the area.

"Okay," Lizzy shrugs not caring either way. "I don't have ta go home and see my sister then. Works for me."

"There's a cheap place a couple blocks from here. Come on," Dean tells her, getting off his stool and grabbing her hand to help her down. She stumbles a bit and they both laugh. "Waste case."

"You're one to talk, bitch," Lizzy name calls in return.

"Why am I a bitch!?" Dean asks with upset.

"Cause I said so," Lizzy laughs and grips his hand tight, letting him lead her to the door.

"I'm not a bitch," Dean reminds her, holding the door open for her. They walk through and start down the street, still holding hands.

"Nah, you're not," Lizzy tells him, head leaning into his shoulder as they stumble their way to a close by hotel. "You're just a _little_ bitch."

Dean laughs at that one.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"What are you brewing up this time?" Sam asks as he toes out of his shoes and heads for his usual stool at the kitchen island. He places the pastry box they picked up on the way home on the center of the surface as she grinds the beans of her latest roast.

Once the electric grinder is done she turns to look at him. "Just the Sumatran. It's all I have left here. I need to remember to steal more of my own stuff next time I'm at the shop."

"Hey, you know how I feel about your Sumatran." Sam grins.

"I do," she smirks back and turns back around to put the French press together.

Sam sees his opportunity then. With her focus on coffee making, Sam opens the pastry box and pulls out the lemon drop cupcake she ordered. It's her favorite. She claims it's the perfect pair up with a good cup of coffee. Sam disagrees, preferring the carrot cake like most others would, but who is he to tell her she's wrong? It's all opinion anyway.

"I have the day off tomorrow, you know?" Lou tells him as she moves around the counter, still not turning around to look at him.

Sam couldn't be happier to hear that. Perfect timing. He reaches into his jean's pocket as he says, "What do you want to do with it?"

"You have a Saturday off too!?" Lou asks with excitement, wide eyes locking with his as his hand freezes in his pocket.

"I can get my work done Sunday instead." He smiles at her warmly and hopes she'll turn back around.

"Cool," Lou grins and turns back to her coffee.

"We could check out that park you were talking about," Sam keeps speaking to distract her, retrieving something from his pocket. His hand is sweaty and he fumbles a little, scared to handle the ring when his hands are shaking so much. "Grab a growler from your place, pick up some food… maybe go to the shelter and grab a dog for the day to take out."

"That'd be awesome!" Lou grins at the idea, loving the sound of it. They both love dogs but are too busy to adopt one themselves. They like to help out by taking one around for the day when they can.

"Done," Sam nods, making sure the diamond is clean and perfect before pressing the band into the buttercream frosting of Lou's dessert, diamond up and presented perfectly. He then sighs, folds his hands awkwardly on the counter top, and waits.

"Alright," Lou says when she's poured two coffee mugs and turns around with them. She smiles at him and places one in front of him and one on her side. "Oh, thanks…." She stops. She was about to thank him for unpacking dessert but the gleam of the diamond sticking out of her cupcake makes her voice cease mid-sentence. A diamond. "Um… Sam?"

"I, uh… I kinda haven't exactly known how… how I wanted to do this," Sam sputters out, his fingers fiddling against each other as he looks at her shocked face. "And I know it's kinda soon…."

"Are you serious?" Lou asks, her face cracking into a bright smile.

"Of course." Sam gets up and walks around the island to her and grabs her hands in his. "I just… Lou, I know you're it for me. And I know you've dealt with a lot of crap before… you're dad and all… but I promise I'd never do that to you. Never."

"I know," Lou answers with wide, still shocked eyes locked up on his.

He smiles at her so hard it almost hurts. "I didn't know how I wanted to do this… make it big or creative… but this is about us. Just us. And this right here? Our favorite restaurant from our first date and some coffee you roasted yourself after, in this apartment … this is us. Completely. And I love this. I love your coffee. I love that you waited two weeks for me to pull my head out of my ass and spend the night with you. I love that you are so career driven and your job means so much to you. I love that you understand that about me too. I love that you care about my brother as much as you do your sister. And… I just love being with you. I can't imagine not being with you."

Sam lowers to the floor and gets on a knee in the traditional way. Lou presses a hand over her mouth with still running surprise, the yes ready to fly out of her mouth as soon as he asks.

His eyes look up at her with pure adoration. "Lou. I love you. I'm always going to love you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Lou practically shouts at him and lunges forward. Her arms come around his neck as she bowls him over, Sam landing on his back on the linoleum. She then presses her lips hard to his, kissing him with excitement and love and everything that's hitting her hard right now.

"Oh, thank god," Sam laughs a little before kissing her again.

"Wait… did you think I'd say no to you!?" Lou worries aloud, leaning up on her elbows pressed to his chest to look at him.

"I think I asked pretty soon into things so I wasn't sure what you'd say," Sam explains honestly. "I mean, I knew you weren't going to straight out dump me or anything but I was running the risk of you calling me insane and saying you wanted to wait."

She melts at his concern. He's always thinking about her. Ever since that first date he's been nothing but the gentleman she'd hoped he was. She's number one on his list, even above himself, and to think she's found this in her life when she was never looking for it is quite incredible.

"I love you… so much," Lou tells him from the depths of her soul before kissing him again.

Sam's arms wrap around her and they stay that way for some time. They kiss, they enjoy the moment, and they forget for a while about one detail of the night.

"Hey," Sam stops them when he comes to his sense briefly.

"What?" Lou wonders, not wanting to stop things.

"Did you want to put on the ring?" Sam wonders to her. He agonized over what one to buy and he's really anxious to see if he passes this massive life test.

"After I have my way with you?" Lou tries, smiling wide. Jewelry is jewelry. Right now she wants him.

"How about before. I want to know if you like it."

"I know I will," Lou promises.

"Just put it on and make me happy then," Sam tries again and Lou gets off of him. She holds out a hand once standing to help pull him up off the floor. "We never really talked about any of this so I wasn't sure what to do… but I think it's something you'd like."

He picks up the cupcake and hands it to her.

"White gold. I went with a solitaire with six prongs since you work with your hands so much… or at least that's what I was told was best. I got an etched band so that even if I couldn't surround the diamond in diamonds like everyone does these days since, you know, you work with your hands, it's still unique." He pulls the band out of the frosting and grabs a napkin off the island to clean the metal band. He then takes her left hand and slide it in place.

Lou looks down at her finger. An impressive diamond rests on it, a diamond that Sam gave her. It could be brown colored and barely visible and she'd love it just the same but he actually did a great job. The ring is different and beautiful and exactly what she'd want.

"It's perfect," Lou smiles at him. "I love it, Sam."

The shy man comes out as he looks away, cheeks tinted pink and smiling wide.

"Now can I have my way with you?" Lou asks him, so in love with this one man in the moment that she just wants him all to herself, alone, together.

"Why not?" he smiles and leans down to kiss her again.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Dean… sit up," Lizzy directs as she sits on his hips on the hotel bed. Dean struggles to sit up from his reclined position under her but she too hastily tries to pulls his shirt off before he can. He gets tangled up and can't move well.

"Wait… stop…." Dean tries to get his arm out of the t-shirt sleeve but can't.

"Just pull your arm out…"

"I can't…."

"Jesus," Lizzy gives up and lets him do it himself.

Dean pulls the shirt overhead with difficulty before he smiles drunkenly at her. "Better?"

"Much," she grins and moves back into him to kiss him. She misses his mouth a little at first in the very dim light of the room, only moonlight coming through the open picture window.

Dean grabs her shirt and pulls it over her head, it getting caught under her chin for a couple seconds. She makes a grunt of annoyance when her clothing gets stuck before they can work together to make sure it's off for good. Neither are moving so smoothly and its showing.

"Shit, wait," Lizzy stops them and pushes him down by his shoulders until his head hits the pillow again. "I'm too fucking drunk for this."

"Awesome," Dean relieves, draping an arm across his eyes.

"Awesome?" Lizzy asks, offended slightly.

"I wasn't gonna be able to do this," Dean huffs a laugh and peeks at her out the bottom of his forearm. "I mean… even if I could get it up, there was no getting off."

Lizzy laughs at him for his pure honesty. "I don't even think I can unhook my own bra right now," she tells him and flops down next to him on the cushy bed, relieved. "Why did we drink so much?"

"Shitty siblings," Dean tells her easily, sighing with how drunk he feels. The high is starting to take a turn. The room is spinning a little.

"Right. Right… I need water."

"Me too."

"I can't get up."

"Me neither."

"I'm gonna regret falling asleep without water," Lizzy tells him knowingly as her consciousness starts to fade. She rolls onto her side and faces Dean out of instinct.

"Mmhmm," Dean hums lazily, his arm lifting off his eyes to come around her shoulders. He pulls her in close, enjoying the warmth of her form pressed to his. It just feels good and when she scoots closer he finds she fits pretty perfectly right there.

"Sleeping now," Lizzy lets him know she's giving up to the alcohol. Her arm creeps across his waist and she settles in quite comfortable.

Before either knows it, they're fast asleep.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

It's a hushed moan, not at all like he's heard from her in the past, that hits his ears but even though it's a little foreign to hear, it's still stunning. This is different. This is real and deep. This is them, bare bones.

"I love you… Lou, I love you," he confesses quietly into her lips in return.

Wrapped up in each other, they spend the night like this. Confessions, expressions of love, and eventually they fall asleep in each other's arms mid-conversation about their future.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Morning," Lou smiles as she looks over her shoulder to see Sam walking into her kitchen a little before 10:00 am.

"Morning," Sam smiles back, walking right for her in his jeans and t-shirt from last night. He brings his arms around her waist and holds her tight from behind, his chin to her shoulder in the most clique example of couple-dome he's ever been a part of. He kisses her neck once and says, "Breakfast. Thanks."

"Just don't get used to it," Lou smiles, looking at her man and kissing his lips once. "I don't cook much."

"I know. You hate it," Sam says knowingly. "I'm just surprised to find you at the stove is all."

"Shut up," Lou laughs a little and looks back to the skillet to push the scrambled eggs around with her spatula. "So… what are we up to today? You still wanna grab food and head out to that park?"

"Sure. I was thinking we could stop by Dean's place first though," Sam floats the idea. "Tell him the news?" Sam walks away from her and heads for the already made coffee. He pours a mug and sighs, realizing in this moment that he's going to marry and live with a never ending supply of perfect, delicious coffee. Not a bad deal.

"He's probably still pissed, dude," Lou tells him, remembering how upset her sister and Dean were last night.

"He probably drank it away by now," Sam laughs. "He and Lizzy probably just went to a bar and forgot about it all. I want to tell him."

Lou nods, realizing how badly she wants to tell her sister about the great news. They share everything. Lizzy may hold onto a grudge like a bastard but how many times does a woman get engaged to the man of her dreams?

"Alright, but we have to tell Lizzy too."

"Maybe we kill two birds with one stone by going to Dean's house?" Sam tells her. "She's probably there, right?"

"True."

"I'll call him," Sam grins wide, phone already out with excitement.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Oh god, no," Dean growls out in pain as he hears and feels it. The vibration. The incredibly loud rock riff splitting his skull open. His phone is ringing. "Damn it."

"Shit, make it stop," he hears from next to him as he watches her through bleary, still unfocused eyes as Lizzy rolls away from him and buries her head under a pillow.

"If I knew where it was…" Dean mentions, not awake enough to process everything. Vibrations. Right butt cheek. It's in his jeans… that he's still wearing. What happened?

Dean scrambles to retrieve his phone and looks at the screen with just barely cracked open eye lids.

 _Sam Calling_

"Nope," Dean grumps and turns off the ringer, ignoring the call. He then drops his head back onto the pillow under him and sighs, then inhales deeply as the nausea hits. "I feel like stomped on crap."

"You sound worse," Lizzy tells him from under the pillow, his voice sounding like he gargled nails.

"Thanks," he complains and tries to lick his dry lips. His entire mouth has no saliva and it's fruitless to try. It's a desert in there. "Need water."

"Hm," Lizzy answers, still buried, and doesn't move to help. She's falling back into unconsciousness.

"Son of a bitch," he complains as he pushes off the plush mattress and stands up. He wavers a little, lightheaded and possibly still drunk, but manages to make it to the mini-fridge in the room. "Oh, thank god." He finds two full, cold water bottles, compliments of the hotel.

Unscrewing the cap, Dean chugs the entire thing in one go. Tossing the empty into the trash can he opens the second one and pauses. Shit. He should probably let her drink that one. He planned to down the second one also but Lizzy doesn't seem any better than he is.

Sitting down at the foot of the bed, he glances to the digital clock on the nightstand. 10:09 am. He then pushes her leg that's still clad in denim and on top of the covers.

"Die," she threatens as he tries to wake her.

"It's after ten. Get up."

"Why?"

"Check out is at eleven."

"Hate you," Lizzy growls with her hangover as she comes up for air and sits, knowing she has no choice now.

Dean takes one look at her and laughs out loud before holding his painful head.

"What!?" she questions with insult.

"Never seen you hungover in the morning," he laughs out. Her hair is all knotted and messy, her eye makeup is a black smudge under each eye, and she's missing her shirt. She looks like a lost child in the woods with hooker makeup on.

"Shut up," Lizzy gets pissed and stands up, walking for the bathroom in a huff.

"Aw, don't get mad!" Dean patronizes. "You look cute!"

"Fuck off, Dean," she snaps and the bathroom door booms shut.

When he hears the sink faucet turn on he laughs again. Not a morning person. Alright.

Sitting on the bed, Dean runs a hand through his hair and can feel it sticking up in the back. He probably looks like Alfalfa but what can he do? He then looks down and realizes he doesn't have a shirt on. And there's a little drool on his upper chest and shoulder where Lizzy was asleep on him. "When did that happen?" he mutters to himself and looks around. He grabs his shirt from the floor and pulls it overhead quickly. He then looks in the full length mirror in the room to see a puffy eyed, completely out of it, tragic version of himself.

And then he remembers. They got wasted because their siblings are asses. And they couldn't drive home. Hell, they couldn't even have sex. What a mess! He laughs to himself at that.

But then he realizes what _really_ occurred. They spent the entire night together. Hell, they fell asleep after _not_ having sex and they cuddled. In a way, they did everything they're supposedly against and got mad at their siblings for trying to push on them.

He wants to be able to say it was a mistake and he never was comfortable with it. He wants to think he doesn't want this. But he can't help but think differently all of a sudden.

Lately, denial being his only defense, he's been viewing Lizzy in a new light. Maybe he has seen her this way the whole time, but recently he's unable to deny it. He just enjoys his time with her too much. They barely go a day much less a few hours without texting each other something inappropriate or just plain pointless. When they're around each other he smiles the entire time. And the sex… well, somehow that's gotten even better with time. They know each other's likes and dislikes, turn ons and offs, and it's seamless.

Yet here they are getting pissed off at their siblings over possibly seeing more clearly what he and Lizzy just can't. Or won't.

"Shit…." Dean hangs his head and rubs his eyes with all the thoughts in his head. It's too much. And after so long why is he starting to see the light _right now_?

"No kidding," Lizzy laughs as she heard him while leaving the bathroom. She's assuming it's about how craptastic they both feel this morning. When she notices he has a full bottle of water in his hand she lights up and walks to him. "I'm gonna pray that you're about to share that with me," she hope aloud as she stands in front of him, inches away, and points to the water bottle.

Looking up at her, Dean pauses. He's never seen her quite like this before. In the bathroom she washed all her makeup off. No black lined eyes and contoured cheeks. Her black hair with red highlights is up in a high ponytail with just her bangs sweeping across her forehead. She looks different, real, and he loves it. She's purely her. No alterations. No hiding.

"Uh, hello?" Lizzy asks when he never answers.

"It's all yours," he hands the water over. "Already killed one."

"Awesome," she smiles slightly, it's all she can manage, and she takes the offered water. Much like he just did, she chugs down the entire thing in one go. When she done, letting out a loud 'ah', she looks to Dean. "I feel like a pile of shit."

"Ditto," Dean simply replies and washes a rough hand down his face.

"So… blow this joint and grab a greasy ass breakfast?" Lizzy asks, hoping he'll say yes. "Not sure I'll make it back to Davis just yet without some food to soak up the entire bar I drank last night."

"We can do that," Dean nods. "I think there's a little diner around the corner. Passed it last night walking here."

"Perfect." Lizzy nods and looks around the room for her shirt, shoes, and purse. She gathers them up as she tells him, "I'll just do what I can to not puke on the walk over."

"Oh man," Dean laughs.

"What?"

"Just… you hungover. I can't believe how bad it is." He laughs harder.

"Shut up."

"I've never seen it," Dean tells her. "You're always gone before morning. It's… fun."

"Me wanting to throw up is fun!?"

"No… but it's just a new side to you. Just… interesting."

"Don't get used to it," Lizzy gripes. "You're never seeing this again."

His heart drops at that but he ignores it. Instead he doesn't have time to ponder it too much when his phone rings again. Pulling it out, he looks at the screen. "Again?"

"Sam?"

"Yeah… weird. I'll call him after breakfast. Let's go."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Alright, we're here," Lizzy calls out as she opens the apartment door and tosses her bag onto the small table at the entry way.

"About time," Lou jokes a little as she sits at the small kitchen island with Sam, each sitting with a mug of coffee waiting for the newly arrived pair.

"Okay, so what's the big deal?" Dean asks as he follows Lizzy into the kitchen.

"And please say there's more coffee," Lizzy tacks on, heading for the French press.

"There is. Looks like you need it," Lou laughs a bit at Lizzy's appearance. She's hung over and it's clear as day.

"Yeah. Some bitch and her boyfriend decided to run their mouths last night and they drove me to drink too much to forget," Lizzy glares at them out of the corner of her eyes for a quick second. "That why you wanted us here? To apologize to us for being nosey asses?"

Lou bites her tongue and sighs. "Sam and I are sorry about that. We can see how… presumptuous we were. We thought we saw something between you two that clearly isn't there."

With wide eyes, Lizzy pauses what she's doing to stare at her sister. "Seriously?"

"Seriously what?"

"You're apologizing?" Lizzy asks with disbelief. "Just like that?"

"We want you two to be happy," Sam shrugs, watching the way Lizzy and Dean silently communicate and move together. Without hesitation or asking, Lizzy pours Dean a cup of black coffee while he goes to the refrigerator to get the cream for Lizzy's. He even pours in the right amount for her without questioning. "We thought you were happy together and we pushed it. We shouldn't have. It _was_ nosey."

Lizzy leans her back into the counter behind her to face the pair at the island. Dean does the same, leaving barely an inch between them.

"Wow… uh, thanks," Dean hesitates, not used to this kind of communication with his brother.

"Yeah. Thanks," Lizzy adds on. "We're happy the way things are."

Dean guiltily looks away at her declaration on both of their behalf. Sam doesn't miss it but keeps his mouth shut. He has to from now on. He tried. He failed. Dean has to be on his own about this.

"As long as you guys are happy," Lou shrugs it all off and moves on. "So we wanted to apologize for last night… and talk to you both about something."

"What's up?" Dean asks, sipping his coffee. His eyes blow wide and he looks over at Lizzy. "Shit, this is good."

"It's Lou's," Lizzy nods at her sister, reminding him of what her job is.

"Ah, that's right," Dean nods, remembering her occupation. "Nice work."

"Thanks," Lou again tries to push past everything. "Last night… Sam and I, kinda, decided to take a new step."

"New step?" Lizzy scoffs. "What, you did it with the lights on?"

Dean huffs a laugh, Lou and Sam stay straight faced.

"Why do you think we're so vanilla?" Lou has to ask, getting baited by her annoying sister. "No… wait, nope. Not feeding the troll."

"We just wanted you two to know first… that we're getting married," Sam rips off the band aid and tells them.

Lizzy and Dean just look at them with unreadable faces at first, both processing the news.

"Uh… usually this is where people say congratulations or something," Sam lets them know.

"You've only been together for, like, three months," Lizzy comments, her worry clear.

"It's been six, but what does that matter?" Lou gets slightly defensive. "We're… good. We're in love and it isn't going to change. Six days, six months… I want to marry Sam."

Sam just looks at her with hearts in his eyes for that, smiling with pride. He's way too happy and Dean sees it all over him. It's great. It's everything Dean's ever wanted for his brother.

"Well, damn. This is awesome," Dean says to the happy couple as he pushes off the counter and places his mug on the island. "Congrats, you guys."

Lou grins as Dean walks around to her and opens his arms. At least one of them is handling this kindly. "Thanks, Dean."

He hugs her tight and lets her know, "You break his heart and I'm coming for you."

Lou laughs at the joke Dean easily makes, easing the moment. "I'll be good to him, promise."

"I know you will," Dean says quickly before letting her go and walking for Sam. They instinctually hug tightly, Dean clapping Sam on the back a couple times as his chest nearly bursts. "Proud of you, Sammy."

"Thanks, Dean," Sam says quietly back, the surprise in his voice clear as day. He didn't know what to expect from his brother but this… well, this is really great. And a little unexpected.

"Seriously," Dean keeps going. "Mom would love her."

Sam just smiles sadly at that as they end the hug. Both are smiling and enjoying the moment…

While Lizzy remains skeptical and unsure.

"Well… anything?" Lou asks with hesitation. She knows Lizzy could react terribly. Or she could at least be a little happy. But she's just standing there looking surprised.

"You guys just kinda shocked me," Lizzy admits while painting a forced smile on her face. "It was fast."

"I'm not gonna love Sam less in another year," Lou shrugs, certain of her feelings. "Why wait?"

"Hey, who am I to argue then?" Lizzy tries to brush off her worries. She walks to her sister and hugs her. "Congratulations."

Lou knows it isn't completely sincere. She can just tell how conflicted Lizzy is inside about this. But she can't worry about that anymore. Their whole lives Lizzy has been anti-relationship while Lou held out hope that there were decent men in the world and that she would find one.

She can't hold Lizzy's hand anymore. She tried last night to get her to realize how good she could have it and Lizzy denied, denied, denied. Lou is done.

When they end the hug, Lizzy grins at her in the tell-tale way. She's lost and she's not ready for all this change is about to mean for her personally.

Dean can see it too. They know each other incredibly well at this point and to him she's an open freaking book. This is affecting her for some reason so he lightens it up.

"Man, if I wasn't so damn hungover I'd say we go celebrate and pop a bottle of something decent," he tells the group.

Lizzy just groans in disgust at the idea.

Lou laughs. "It's okay, Dean. We have plans anyways. We just wanted to tell you guys first."

"Well, I'm honored," Dean smirks.

"And since it took forever for you guys to get here, we're gonna leave now before the day's gone," Sam tells them both as he and Lou start to grab jackets and head for the door.

"Have fun, you crazy kids," Lizzy tells them jokingly but her voice falls slightly flat.

"We will," Lou waves and they leave, smiling at each other like the lovesick pair that they are.

When the door shuts, Lizzy's face drops. Her chest hurts and feels empty at the same time. If she wasn't any wiser about her own self she'd almost call this feeling jealousy. Of course, that can't be it. No fucking way. Lizzy's never getting married. Marriage is for suckers.

"You okay in there?" Dean interrupts her turning mind and she sharply looks at him.

"Oh, uh… yeah," Lizzy nods and lies.

"Yeah right," Dean calls her out. "You wanna… talk about it?" He immediately makes a sour face for the horrid offer.

Lizzy finally relaxes and huffs a laugh. "Are you serious?"

"No," Dean laughs back.

"Good." Lizzy sighs and looks around the apartment. "I think I'm just kinda… shocked."

"It was fast," he nods in agreement. "But they're good together. And sickeningly cute."

"I vomit all the time," Lizzy concurs.

"So… you got the day off?" Dean wonders, knowing she does.

"Yeah. I was gonna… catch up on stuff. Laundry. Cleaning. You know, boring stuff."

"You wanna hang out instead?" Dean lightly asks with much hope. She doesn't seem as if being alone would be a good idea right now.

"I think I'm just gonna… be here," Lizzy answers. "Overcome my hangover."

"You sure?" he checks, knowing she has to be lying.

She hesitates before saying, "Yep. I'm good."

She's a liar and Dean knows it. "Okay. I'll leave you to it. Text me later?"

He heads for the door as she says, "Sure."

"Alright. Later, Liz," Dean departs and leaves the apartment.

The moment she's alone Lizzy has a moment of sadness. She has no idea why but she spends the next hour crying in her bedroom, desperately trying to figure out what's gotten into her in a time that should be happy for her.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay. I've been really busy becoming a mom. :) Hopefully updates won't take three weeks from now on but hey, can't predict a baby's schedule. I'll do what I can while I'm falling more in love with my daughter every second more that I'm with her.**


	5. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 4)

**FOUR MONTHS LATER**

Tonight is the night.

He's going to pull the trigger. Tell the truth. Come clean once and for all.

He's known unequivocally that he wants her, and not just as a fuck buddy, for months now. It was a hard truth to handle at first but the more he's around her the more he knows this is right. Every second he's with her he's happy. And every moment he isn't with her he's thinking about her.

Even if she doesn't see it yet, he sure does. Clearly. And he's willing to take the chance and confess in the hopes that he can make her see their potential. It's risky, and he could lose what has become his very best friend outside of Sam, but if he can get her to understand what he already does then it'll be worth it.

Dean's tired of this bullshit. They've been dancing around it all for too long. He's ready for more. And he's ready for more with Lizzy.

Wiping his sweaty palms down his jean covered thighs as he patiently waits on the couch in his house, his heart races. Her shift ended a half hour ago so she should be there soon. He bought a good bottle of whiskey and it's set out on the coffee table with a couple glasses. He's optimistic. He's really hoping there's something worth toasting to after he spills his guts.

After Sam got engaged to Lou and after being around them, seeing what it is that makes a good relationship work, Dean's realized that Lizzy is his answer. He's never wanted a relationship before now. He was happy with quickies and nothing serious. But the thought of going on like they have… it's unfulfilling at this point. He wants more for the first time in his life.

Headlights flashing through the living room, he knows she's home. His heart quickens even more. He stands up, paces a bit and takes a deep breath. "You can do this," Dean tells himself in a mini pep talk. "It'll be good. Be honest. It'll be totally worth it."

The keys are jingling in the door knob as Lizzy unlocks it from outside.

"Fuck me, this is a bad idea," Dean mutters to himself last second as the door opens, a bright smile on his face.

He hears her giggling once and his smile drops completely when she walks in… with a guest following her in.

"Hey!" Lizzy greets when she sees him standing there. She shuts the door behind her guest as she mentions, "I thought I'd see you at the bar tonight."

His heart is in his feet when his brain begins to process what's happening. She brought another guy home. She's going to have sex with another guy on the night he wanted to make a massive leap into commitment with her. She's going to fuck another guy in his own house. What the hell?

"I, uh…" Dean stutters, mind not working past the reality of what's happening. Shit. "I… just didn't make it out."

"Your loss," Lizzy shrugs it off and turns to her company. "Luke, this is my roommate, Dean. Dean… Luke."

"Hey," Luke smirks and nods at Dean. Dean just nods once back.

"You got company coming?" Lizzy wonders, looking at the glasses and liquor set out.

"I… no," Dean tells her truthfully. "Had a long week. Splurged on a bottle. Figured you'd want some," he then lies right after.

Lizzy smiles sweetly. "Raincheck?"

Dean looks away for a moment, hurt. "Yeah. No problem." Another lie.

She grins wide. Then she turns to Luke. "My room's this way." She grabs his hand and disappears, shouting a quick, "G'night, Dean!" over her shoulder.

The second her bedroom door on the second floor is shut and The Doors can be heard playing from inside, Dean wants to crawl in a hole and die.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Dean asks himself, plopping onto the couch with self-pity.

He should have seen this coming. It was clearly a mistake asking her to move in when Lou and Sam bought a house together a few months back. Lizzy was lost and homeless and Dean wanted to help. Hell, it's been mostly fun living with her. They get along beautifully, share household chores, hang out nearly every night while watching TV and talking. It's been perfect with the exception of random hook ups with outside people.

He has been no saint himself, he's aware of his own downfalls. In the first weeks after she moved in he brought a couple girls home. Lizzy was fine with it. But then they kept hooking up themselves, which they should have seen would get sticky at some point or another. Roommates fucking can't be a smart move but who said either of them are smart?

Just last weekend they went out and got tipsy at a local dive together. They then came home and fell into Lizzy's bed like they were known to. But this one time they fell asleep after. Dean never made it back to his own bed. They woke up tangled together, limps entwined. It was comfortable and domestic and lovely. The sun was up, they had nowhere to go, and Dean took the few minutes that he woke up before her to just lay there. He studied her face, the serene look she had when resting quite soothing to her, and he let himself enjoy the possibility of this being their future… well, until Lizzy woke up and got weird.

She got up abruptly and tried to shake the whole thing off. Clearly she enjoyed the moment more than she was comfortable with and once she recognized how comfortable and real it was, she freaked. They haven't hooked up since. And now Lizzy's bringing a stranger home for the first time in a very long time.

Dean figures fuck it and reaches for the whiskey bottle. He cracks it without Lizzy and pours a hefty glass for himself. He sits back, takes a long sip, and internally chastises himself for thinking he could ever have more with Lizzy.

She's damaged and Dean knows this. And he hates that Lou and Sam were probably right about the two of them and how well they could work together. But he was willing to admit he was wrong, as long as he got his shot with her.

At this point, however… it isn't worth the pain from holding out hope.

Lizzy's bad news and she'll never change.

* * *

"Just… some random guy?" Sam asks with disbelief as he looks at his brother with shock and pity. "She brought a random guy home last night?"

"Yeah… a ginger at that," Dean gripes sullenly as they sit at the high top bar table together.

"But I thought you two were getting, I don't know… closer."

"Yeah… guess not," Dean mumbles, half in the bag as he swallows down more whiskey that he doesn't necessarily need.

Sam looks down into his pint of beer with a heavy heart. His brother got drunk with him the previous weekend and confessed his evolving feelings for Lizzy. After waking up with her in his arms Dean couldn't hold it back anymore. He told Sam he wanted more and Sam, of course, encouraged him to tell Lizzy and to try to find some happiness with her. He knew as well as anyone that's seen Dean and Lizzy together that they were something big, something that should be.

He regrets that now as he watches Dean's hunched form look pathetic and hurt. He tried. He was going to tell her… and Lizzy screwed it up.

"So… what now?" Sam asks him, looking to find out what Dean plans to do now that he knows Lizzy's not interested.

"No idea," Dean shakes his head. "I gotta live with her so I guess I just shut up and get over it. Not like she's gonna change."

"Clearly she's not," Sam agrees.

"Nope…"

"Even if you have, which is pretty big."

Dean sighs and gulps down more beer.

"I am happy that you're wanting more out of life now, Dean," Sam tells his brother and gets a grumpy grunt in return. "Uh, you know, you don't _have_ to live with her," he then brings up the unseen option.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks.

"Well, when you told her she could move into your house when Lou moved out you guys never meant for it to be permanent. It was temporary, until she found somewhere to land. You gave her several months. Maybe it's time she starts actually looking for her own place."

"I can't do that to her."

"But you can't do this to yourself either," Sam reminds him. "This is only gonna get worse, Dean. You're letting her hurt you by keeping her in the house. You think this is gonna get easier when she brings home another guy next weekend? Or even tonight?"

Dean face wrinkles with dislike for the idea.

"Look… just mention that she should start looking for a place. Offer to help her find something. Make it friendly since, you know, you two _are_ friends."

"We are," Dean nods, knowing that at this point Lizzy's probably his very best friend. Whether he wants more or not, she's closer to him than anyone else outside of Sam.

"And if she moves out it'll be really easy to keep it that way," Sam keeps suggesting,

"Yeah. Probably," Dean agrees.

"So, go home tonight. Hang out. Talk to her. Let her know that she should try to get her own place."

"Yeah…" Dean trails off, his eyes suddenly focused on something behind Sam.

Following his eye line, Sam can see what it was that distracted his brother so much. A blonde woman at the bar, chatting with a friend, stands tall in a pair of knee-high black boots and a short skirt. Her low cut shirt reveals round, ample sized breasts and her smile is bright. She's hot. She's young. She's Dean's perfect target.

"Dean…" Sam starts to warn against whatever is going through his head.

"Hey, uh," Dean starts, pulling his wallet out and counting out some bills. "Drinks on me. I gotta go."

"Dean, don't. Man…"

"Don't what?" Dean gets pissed, dropping the cash on the table. "Do exactly what Lizzy just did? Don't have some damn fun and let off some steam? Why not?"

"Because you're doing this out of revenge."

"I'm doing this because I _can_ ," Dean corrects. "I'm a free man that can do what I want and _who_ I want." He points to the girl at the bar. "And right now… _that_ is who I want."

"You sure about that?" Sam sharply rebuts, know who it is he really does in fact want.

Dean stands up, narrow eyes on his brother.

"I thought you wanted more than quick sex these days?"

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks overnight, Sammy."

"This is a bad idea…."

"Tell Lou I said hi," Dean departs with, walking for the blonde woman.

Helplessly, Sam watches him chat her up for a total of five minutes as he finishes his beer. After that Dean guides her out of the bar with a hand on the small of her back and Sam just sighs.

His brother is impossible.

* * *

"The cars hiss by my window," Lizzy sings low as she lays sideways across the big, overstuffed chair in the living room of Dean's house, her head propped on one arm and her legs hanging over the edge of the opposite arm. "Like the waves down on the beach."

She then takes a deep inhale of the joint between her index finger and thumb, blowing the smoke into the air and watching it swirl around. She's feeling good. Some decent sex last night. A day off today in which she and Lou went around to some cafes a few towns over to check out the competition. And now, a night in. She needed one. Sometimes she goes out too much. Tonight she just wanted to get stoned and hang around.

"The cars hiss by my window," she keeps singing to herself, relaxed as all hell. "Like the waves down on the beach." Her feet tap as her long, bare legs dangle down. She didn't even bother putting on real clothes. She took a shower and once she had on a pair of red with black trim panties and her black tank top she gave up. Whatever. She's not looking to impress anyone. "I got this girl beside me. But she's… out of reach."

The front door opens and she smiles. Good timing. Maybe Dean will smoke with her and they can hang out, possibly have some better sex to make up for the only decent sex from the night before with Liam… or Luke? It was Luke, right? Shit….

"Hey!" she shouts to him without getting up. She drops her head back and stares at the ceiling. "You wanna get high, bitch boy?"

"Who's that?"

The female voice asking a question peaks her interest. She doesn't know that voice at all. A second later Dean's walking into the room with a tall, leggy, gorgeous blonde.

"Hey," Dean greets awkwardly. "Uh, might have to catch you later on that one."

"Who's you're guest," Lizzy wonders, sitting upright to look them both over.

"Oh… Brenda, this is my roommate Lizzy," Dean introduces to his guest, voice unexcited.

"Hi," Brenda's higher pitched, young voice greets.

"Hey," Lizzy nods once. "Would've made myself decent if I knew we were having company." Looking the girl over, Lizzy realizes she's cute. Hell, she's hot. She's no older than her early twenties. Lizzy gives Dean a look of impressed approval. He's still got it.

"So… we're gonna just…" Dean starts to point to the stairs so they can depart when Brenda speaks up.

"You're tattoos are awesome," Brenda says to her in a very teen-aged voice and takes a step forward, looking at Lizzy's arm. "Like… so cool."

"Thanks," Lizzy laughs a little at her enthusiasm.

"I really like the flower one," Brenda points to one specific tattoo.

"Thanks," Lizzy smiles genuinely. "Got that one for my mom. She passed away a few years back and lilies were her favorite. They were all over our yard."

"Oh… I'm sorry…."

"Don't be," Lizzy tells the apologetic girl. "It was… whatever. Doesn't matter. That was four years ago. You wanna hit?" She offers her joint to the blondie in order to leave the heavy conversation behind.

"Totally," Brenda answers enthusiastically and takes the joint. She sits on the couch near Lizzy and takes a deep hit, making it clear that this isn't her first time smoking weed.

Dean blinks once as he tries to process what the hell is happening right now. He brought a girl home to hook up with, probably out of revenge though he's ignoring that fact for now, and Lizzy's becoming her friend? Really? Is she ruining even _this_ for him?

"Dean?" Brenda asks and when he looks at her she's holding out the joint to him, looking for him to join in.

Rolling his eyes as all he had wanted was to get laid, not chill with his fuck buddy/roommate, he plops down on the couch next to Brenda and takes up her offer. "Uh… alright…." He's not seeing much of a choice.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"What the fuck is wrong with her?!" Lou covers her face with her hands in embarrassment for her sister once Sam tells her what happened the previous night.

"She's… not relationship material," Sam shrugs. "Not everyone has to be…."

"But she's miserable!" Lou tells him with anger, hands dropped as she sits with her feet in his lap on the couch. "I know her. She's full of shit at all times. She thinks she's going to live forever like this!? Bullshit. By the time she's forty and childless and with no one to come home to every night she's going to be so unhappy that all she does is bitch about it. And I'll have to be the one to deal with the fallout."

She sighs heavily as she picks up her wine glass from the end table and takes a sip. Sam doesn't say anything, just rubs a loving hand up and down her bare calf as it rests in his lap. He knows how upset her sister makes her. He can relate. Dean isn't always an easy brother either. But Lou just wants the best for her little sister and Lizzy just doesn't seem to want the same.

"Dean is awesome," Lou says hopelessly. "He's awesome. And he's right there. What the fuck is her problem!? She'll never do better than him! I have no idea why he even bothers with her at all."

"Okay, easy," Sam smiles cautiously. "Lizzy isn't that bad…."

"You say that because she's not your family," Lou complains sharply.

"Well… she kinda is," Sam reminds her. "Or at least she will be in six more months. And Lizzy is pretty awesome too. She just… she's damaged."

"Why is she so damn fucked up when I'm not though?" Lou points out. "At some point she has to just get the fuck over it. I got over it. I know that not everyone is our father and not everyone sucks. Dean wouldn't do that to her if she would just stop being a dumbass and trust him."

"She can't see it," Sam tries to give new perspective. "And I can't blame her. There are things about our family that have stuck with Dean and me. Like… I worry about Dean's drinking all the time. Our dad was a drunk. I don't want that for my brother."

"He does drink a lot," Lou nods, understanding.

"But right now it isn't a problem. I just hope that it stays that way in the future," Sam tells her. "Look, all I'm saying is that we all have damage from our parents. Some it affects more than others. Lizzy… she took it harder than you."

"But she's letting dad win," Lou closes her eyes, angry about this over all else. "She's letting him and his infidelity ruin not just mom's life but her life too. That's not right."

"No. It's not," Sam completely concurs. He then thinks a moment. "Has she ever… talked to anyone about this?"

"We talk all the time."

"No, I mean professionally," Sam suggests. "Therapy. Just talking it out with an unbiased person can help a lot. I know it got me through some stuff when I was younger."

"You went to therapy?" Lou asks, her empathy clear immediately.

"Relax," Sam smiles at her. "I did it for a year. I was… resentful of dad for a long time. I didn't understand why he couldn't pull himself out of the bottle for his own kids. I thought he was selfish and I couldn't forgive him. Dean somehow scraped the cash together for a few months of therapy."

"Did it work?"

"Yeah. It really did. I, uh… I was able to see that dad is just human. And it wasn't that he couldn't get sober for us. We had nothing to do with it and that's okay. It helped me forgive him."

Lou looks away for a moment and thinks. This could be what Lizzy needs. Lord knows that no matter what she says to her little sister it never matters. Maybe an outsider, a professional outsider, can help her. "I'll see if she'll do it."

"Couldn't hurt," Sam adds on.

"Well, it could," Lou laughs. "She might punch me in the face for the suggestion."

"Again… how has she not just given in and gotten together with Dean?" Sam laughs.

Lou laughs in return. "I know! God, she's stupid…."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Oh my god… I am _so_ stoned!"

The ditsy laugh that accompanies the statement makes Dean want to roll his eyes. When he looks over at Brenda he can see how wasted she is. Maybe they shouldn't have smoked so much.

"You're really pretty," Brenda says to Lizzy as she looks over at the dark haired woman once more lounging sideways across the overstuffed, upholstered chair.

Lizzy huffs a genuine laugh. "Thanks."

"No, seriously," Brenda tells her, sitting up on her end of the couch. "You're like… model pretty."

"I'm really not, but thanks again," Lizzy tells her, also sitting up. She stands and observes the people on the couch. Both look highly relaxed. "Well, looks like I got you two ready for a nice, chilled night. Enjoy each other." She winks and walks to leave the room.

"Wait!" Brenda calls out and grabs her wrist, pulling her back into the room. Peering up at Lizzy from the couch for a second, Brenda then turns to Dean. "Have you guys ever hooked up?"

"What?" Dean spits out, confused as to why she'd ask that question.

"I mean, you're super hot," she tells Dean before turning back to Lizzy. "And you're, like, the sexiest girl ever."

Lizzy's eyes widen to golf balls.

"And you live together," Brenda keeps going. "You have to have hooked up before."

"We… might have," Lizzy smirks at Dean, not saying any more on the subject. He just shoots her a surly look.

"Yay!" Brenda lights up.

"Yay?" Dean echoes, confused still.

"Dean… duh!" Brenda says to him, upset that he doesn't get it. "Threesome!"

Bomb detonated. Lizzy and Dean both just stare at the younger girl in the room that just threw out the most unexpected idea ever.

Looking at Dean, Lizzy's face melts into a mischievous smile. She had no intentions of screwing with his night but now… well, this is too good to be true.

"No," Dean immediately denies. He's having a hard enough time getting past Lizzy at all at this point. Now she's ruining his hook ups? She's including herself? This isn't helpful.

"Why not?" Brenda whines, saddened by his refusal.

"It's not a good idea."

"But why?" Brenda stands up and moves right up into Lizzy's personal space, face to face. "You live with her," she says, staring right into Lizzy's eyes. "You know she's beautiful."

"Aw," Lizzy jokes a little with the compliment as her eyes slide over to Dean. She can read how damn uncomfortable he is. She doesn't really know why since, being a heterosexual man, Dean should be chomping at the bit for this opportunity. Therefore… she needs to screw with him a little.

Stepping the extra few inches closer, Lizzy puts her hands on Brenda's hips and presses her entire front to the blonde woman's. She brings her lips closer, an inch away from kissing her.

"Come on, Dean," Lizzy teases, her lips brushing against Brenda's as she speaks. "It'll be fun, you know that much."

"Lizzy, cut the shit," Dean says but the crack in his voice gives him away. This is too much. He's only a man. He can only resist so much and he can already feel his resolve slipping as he grows weaker. He's weak for Lizzy. And he's _really_ weak for Lizzy with another woman, apparently.

"We've fucked before," Lizzy shrugs and turns her head to Dean. Brenda takes the opportunity to place a kiss on her neck, making Lizzy hum and close her eyes for a second. When she lifts her lids she can see the bulge in Dean's pants along with the need in his eyes. "And since when did you turn this kind of thing down?"

"Lizzy, I swear… this is _not_ a good idea," Dean tries to tell her, emphasizing his words so she'll understand he means it.

"Party pooper," Lizzy jokes. She then turns to Brenda, a hand to the stranger's cheek, as she tells him, "Maybe I'll just steal your girl for the night then." Lizzy then moves in and kisses Brenda on the lips, making her moan lightly with just that contact.

It's then that it hits her. Lizzy's never done this before. Ever. She's never been one to be interested in women. College, that was one thing, but not since. She's completely straight. But there's something about baiting Dean right now. He brought home another girl when she had hoped to have him to herself tonight. Is she trying to get even with him for acting like the free man that he is? Did she just get jealous and then need to get even? Or is she really just that turned on by this one girl?

Knowing the answer deep down in her heart, Lizzy stuffs those thoughts to the very far reaches of her mind and ignores them. Games. She's good at playing games. And sex. Stick to what you know, right?

Plus, what the hell? What do the kids say these days? You only live once?

"Come on," Lizzy says to Brenda as she ends the kiss and backs off a step. She grabs her hand and heads for Dean. Seamlessly, she grabs Dean's hand with her free one and pulls. She has no idea if he'll go for it or not when she tries this but hey, worth a shot.

"The hell are you doing?" Dean asks her without standing up, not knowing who this person in front of him is. She's never acted this way. Six months of being friends and he's starting to think he doesn't know her at all.

"I'm getting this party started," Lizzy says obviously. "Dean. Let's just have some fun."

"I already told you… this isn't a good idea."

"Why not?"

Good question. He's never told her how he's feeling and their whole friendship started with having fun and fucking. So, to her, it makes sense that they'd do this together.

But he doesn't know how to share her, clearly. When she hooked up with someone else last night it hurt him. A lot. Now he has to see it up close?

"Dean…" Lizzy starts, never dropping Brenda's hand as she straddles Dean's lap. She leans in and presses a very slow, sensual kiss to his lips. She then asks while this close to him, "Why not?"

Lizzy then reaches up behind her and pulls Brenda into a kiss over her shoulder. Dean watches, Lizzy's beautiful mouth all over this hot chick from the bar and he has to wonder why not? Seriously. Right now that is one good question.

And Dean's weak. For her. For the two women in front of him. For all of it. And the drunk and high state of mind doesn't help.

His hands grip her thighs hard as he watches them kiss. This is too much. How could he say no to this? He's certainly not that strong.

When done, Lizzy leans into Brenda's side when the blonde woman stands back up. "What do you say?"

"Fuck it," Dean says to her and pushes her off his lap. He then stands up and heads for his bedroom. "Why the hell not…?"

Brenda squeals with excitement and nearly skips up the stairs. As Lizzy watches her go her smile falls. He fell for it. He wants this just like she'd hoped he would.

Then why does this feel wrong?

"You made your bed, Noonan," Lizzy speaks to herself as she finally starts to follow them. "Lie in it."

* * *

"Morning," Lizzy greets as she shuffles her feet along the tiled floor of the kitchen. She heads for the coffee maker with half opened eyes and messy hair.

"Morning," Dean answers back, his voice flat as his heart pounds in his chest. He's been dreading this since last night.

Lizzy grumpily grunts as she pours a cup of coffee and heads for the table for two in the small kitchen. She sits across from Dean with her phone as is her usual move on weekend mornings. He reads the paper, she reads her Facebook feed on her phone, they comment on what they find and discuss nothing of real importance.

Today, though… today feels weird. Shit got weird the night before. And Dean was right. That threesome was a bad idea.

"We need to talk," Dean sternly starts as he folds up the morning paper and looks across the table at her.

"About?" Lizzy feigns stupidity and she doesn't know why. She knows exactly why they need to talk.

"Seriously?" Dean gets mad.

Lizzy rolls her eyes. "Alright. Fine. What about last night needs discussing?"

"How about why did it happen?" Dean asks, his voice sharp.

Looking at him like he nuts, Lizzy tells him, "I wanted to get laid and Brenda offered."

"Bullshit," Dean shakes his head with her lie.

"Well, if you're so sure that you know better than I do, please. Do share."

Dean looks down into his mug at the black coffee and sighs. She's such a pain in the ass sometimes. He knows why she did it. It was to fuck with him. There was ulterior motives and he fell for her crap. So instead of fall into another of her traps, he moves on. "Look. Lizzy. I… I don't think it's smart that we live together anymore."

Lizzy's back straightens upright and her eyes pop open wide with shock. That was the last thing she thought he'd say right now. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think it's time you found your own place," he rushes out and takes a sip, wishing he could hide himself behind his mug.

"Um… where the fuck is this coming from?" Lizzy needs to know, this request feeling completely out of nowhere for her.

"The deal was that you moved here while you found a new place once Lou moved out of the apartment you shared, right?"

"Right…."

"That was five months ago."

"And?" Lizzy asks, not getting it. "Is this about money? Because I told you I wanted to pay rent and you said no…."

"Come on. That's not it," Dean denies right off.

"Then why now?" Lizzy has to know. "I thought we were good."

"We were. For a while…."

"What changed?" Lizzy asks.

Dean looks at her with disbelief for the power of her denial.

"What!?" Lizzy asks, feeling odd about all this.

Sighing heavily, he gets it out there. "I can't keep… hooking up with you. And it not mean anything."

Lizzy huffs a laugh. "Um… what?"

Avoiding her eyes, he scans the room aimlessly as he confesses to her. "We've been doing our thing for a long time now. And that's fine. It's been fun. Really fun. And you've become a really good friend to me."

"Still not seeing any issues," Lizzy comments.

"But I want more," Dean says, sucking it up and meeting her eyes. "I'm not getting any younger and at some point… I want more."

"More what?"

"More… I don't know. Just more."

"Like… a family?" Lizzy asks. "You wanna get married all of a sudden?"

"Maybe I do," Dean fires out, getting annoyed. "And so what if I realize that I should be looking for more in my life? What does that matter to you?"

Lizzy holds her hands out in surrender with his defensive tone. "Not saying that's a bad thing. Just… this is kinda out of nowhere, you know? Before now you've always said you just wanted to have fun and hook up."

"And I did. Until recently," Dean responds, eyes back on his mug.

"So… what changed?" Lizzy asks him, trying her best to understand him.

He doesn't know how to answer that without making her want to run for the hills. So instead he moves on. "All I know is… I won't move on with my life if I'm living with you."

"And why's that?" Lizzy sharply asks him in an almost challenge. "I have never stopped you from doing what you wanted to do."

"Oh really!?" Dean gets upset.

"Yeah. Really," she defensively answers back.

"Then what the hell was last night about?" Dean spits back, never having intended to bring it up.

"Uh… sex," she tells him obviously.

"I brought home a chick and you weaseled your way into it," Dean starts to let his anger out, something he never wanted to do. "You couldn't even let me have that and not involve yourself."

"Weaseled my way in!?" Lizzy asks with wide eyes, shocked with his word choice.

"Damn straight. You didn't want me hooking up with someone else, which is incredibly hypocritical considering you did that very same thing the night before."

She's stunned. "That's how you see it?"

Dean doesn't answer and by doing so makes it clear that he does in fact see it that way.

Huffing a disappointed laugh, Lizzy sighs. "What do you think this is, Dean? You and me?"

He falters at first. Then he tells her, "I think of us as friends that should never have gone to bed together. Ever. Because you have commitment issues."

"Who said anything about committing to each other!?" she shouts, not getting how this is all landing on her.

Angry face sternly locked on her, Dean bites the bullet. "I just… I can't live with you anymore because… you don't want more from me. And I might… want more from you at this point. And I'll just keep hurting myself if we stay like this. So, you have to move out."

Dean returns to his mug and drinks deep as a surprised and speechless Lizzy processes everything. It's silent for some time, the air thick with the information Dean dropped on her.

"So… what? Are we not friends anymore because you have some kinda crush on me or something?" Lizzy asks him, trying to understand.

"That's not… no. I don't want to lose you because I… got feelings involved or whatever. If you aren't here all the time, bringing dudes home in front of my face and giving me the space to figure out this… _thing_ , then we can stay friends. It's just hard to do that the way we currently live."

Dean's head is hung and he's shy all of a sudden. Lizzy's never once seen Dean look small or embarrassed, not like this. Never once.

"This is weird," Lizzy spills out. "I don't like this. It changes everything."

"No it doesn't," Dean spells it out. "And that's the problem. I wish me telling you this changed everything. I wish you could get past what your dad did and see that I'm not him…."

"Watch it!" Lizzy gives him fair warning. She doesn't talk about her dad and his infidelity.

"I want things to change and they can't," Dean confesses. "But… I'm gonna be thirty-four. My little brother is getting married before me. He'll have kids before me and that's… not right. I know now that I want that stuff. I want one person to come home to. I want a quiet life that's good. I want to have a couple rugrats. I want that with you… and I know I can't. So… you need to go."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before shit got weird, dude?" Lizzy gets angry again.

"I was gonna tell you Friday. When you got out of work. But you brought that douchey ginger home and… I never got to tell you."

Closing her eyes, she now regrets that one night stand completely. If she'd known she'd never have brought someone home with her.

"Dean… I, I don't really know what to say…."

"You don't need to say anything," he shrugs.

"No, I do," she denies. "I just wasn't seeing any of this. I feel kinda dumb now."

"Don't," Dean tells her, hurt that he'd make her feel that way.

"I don't want to hurt you," Lizzy tells him, the honesty in her tone almost shocking Dean. "You've been by best friend. I thought things were fine and if I knew they weren't…."

"Stop," Dean shakes his head. "This wasn't about me giving you a guilt trip. I just need space for a while. I don't want to lose what we have. You're… important to me."

He bashfully looks away and Lizzy smiles.

"You're such a fucking girl."

"Fuck off."

Lizzy laughs at that. "Okay. I'll start looking today. I'll find a place, move out… maybe we stop hooking up and we'll be fine. Right?"

Dean looks over at her. Even in the morning, no makeup and messy hair, she's still the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. And he can't help but feel that something in his chest when he's with her or when he just looks at her sometimes. He's worried that he'll never get past that, even if they change things.

"Right," he responds, his voice very unsure.

Lizzy forces a smile onto her face and reaches across the table for Dean's newspaper. She opens it up to the 'for rent' listings, ready to get cracking. Yet, all the while she can feel the bond they have fading.


	6. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 5)

**Note: This chapter has been edited from it's original form for compliance with the M rating on FanFiction. For the full, MA version of this chapter please visit this same story on Archive of Our Own. The story title and chapter title are the same. The author name is DeepLittleSOB. The link to my Dashboard is in my profile.**

* * *

 **SEVEN MONTHS LATER**

Taking a deep breath, blowing it out through pursed lips, Lizzy smoothes her hands down the front of her floral, vintage dress. The main door of the restaurant is just a few feet ahead but she's nervous to go through them.

Sam and Lou are getting married tomorrow. The event starts now with the rehearsal dinner. They kept it small and casual, only two people in their wedding party. Lizzy is Lou's maid of honor, of course. And there's only one person Sam would choose for his best man.

Seeing Dean again is what has her so damn nervous.

"Suck it up, Noonan," Lizzy says to herself and she takes a few steps. She reaches the door and stops thinking, forcing herself to open it and goes through.

By the time she makes it to the back, private event room, she sees she's fairly early. Not many people there yet.

"Liz!"

Lizzy turns sharply, looking at the man that just called her name. She clenches her jaw and sees who it is.

"Hey, dad," she returns with and forces a smile. They hug, Brian more enthusiastically than her, and Lizzy's already uncomfortable.

"How are you?" Brian asks after ending the embrace. "It's been too long."

"I'm just fine, dad," Lizzy says with a coldness.

"That's good. You look really good. How's dance stuff going?" he asks her lightly, with hope.

Lizzy rolls her eyes. "I quit dancing years ago. Remember? I got hurt?"

"Oh, the knee thing… right," Brian gets embarrassed. "God. I forgot."

"I can tell," Lizzy says and crosses her arms.

It gets silent for a moment, the feeling of awkwardness and discomfort taking over.

"Liz, I was hoping…."

"I'm gonna go say hi to Lou," Lizzy cuts him off and walks away. He was about to get serious and once again try to make excuses for his past. She doesn't want to hear it. Instead, she makes her exit to speak to her sister.

On the way to Lou she passes the bar… and makes a pit stop. This whole thing would go better with some whiskey.

"Hi," she smiles at the bartender. "I'll have a Maker's neat. Hell, make it a double, please."

"Make that two."

Eyes peering to the left, Lizzy sees the other man she was dreading encountering this weekend standing not a couple inches from her at the bar.

"Hey," Lizzy says, her lack of enthusiasm unintentionally obvious.

"Hi," Dean grins his million wattage grin that makes her knees weak. Jerk. "How you doing? It's been, what? A few months?"

"Yeah," Lizzy nods and looks for the bartender, hoping he'll hurry up. "Been busy."

"How's the second location working out?" Dean asks her, honestly curious.

"Oh, it's good," Lizzy nods. "Lou really has some balls putting me in charge of a second Brewtopia spot."

"Nah, she was smart," Dean makes sure she knows. "I'm sure you're killing it."

Lizzy smiles awkwardly with the compliment as her eyes drift over his form without her permission. He's looking incredible. He has on a tailored gray suit she's sure Sam helped him get with a crisp button-down white shirt. The top button is left undone and he forewent a tie. His eyes are brighter green than she remembers and when he absently licks his lips she wants to kill him for looking so fucking good.

"Thanks," Lizzy says when the bartender drops off their drinks. She goes to open her small black clutch but Dean stops her.

"On me," he tells her, wallet open and money slid across the bar top before she can protest. "Haven't seen you in too long. I wouldn't mind catching up with an old friend."

Her heart breaks at that. Friend. She's an idiot.

"I, uh…" Lizzy looks around, spotting Lou across the room. "I just need to say hi to the bride and groom. Haven't yet." She starts to walk off.

"I'll catch you at dinner then," Dean nods slowly, seeing her discomfort. He lets her go.

Deep breath in, Lizzy sighs as she reaches Lou.

"Lizzy," Lou smiles, then drops her grin when she can read Lizzy's body language easily. "What's wrong?"

"Hi to you, too," Lizzy snaps back.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Lou keeps trying.

"Just… I hate these things, you know?" she answers, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"You saw dad," Lou states the obvious.

Lizzy closes her eyes with annoyance. "He didn't even know I wasn't dancing anymore."

"How would he? You don't talk to him," Lou says to her. "But I think you should."

"Fuck no," Lizzy replies sharply.

"Lizzy, just listen to him…."

"How many times, huh?" Lizzy gets mad. "I've talked to him, I've listened, and it's all bullshit."

"I think he'll surprise you," Lou gets upset at Lizzy's denial of their father. "He's sorry. Let him show you that."

Lizzy just rolls her eyes.

"Dean's here," Lou changes the subject.

"Yeah, I know," Lizzy raises her glass. "He already bought me a drink."

"That was nice."

"Of course it was. He's Dean. He's nice," Lizzy comments and sighs heavily.

"Just be friends again," Lou says to her. "See what happens…."

"He's smart. He's probably over me by a mile by now," Lizzy says with a hopeless tone, her eyes sliding to the side of the room she knows Dean's at. She catches him speaking with his father, John, and he tilts he head back to let out a good laugh at something. He's so attractive it hurts.

"So what? You wanted to be friends…."

"Shut up," Lizzy grumps and takes a massive sip of whiskey. "I'm gonna sit down."

Lizzy marches away, not even bothering saying hello to the groom. She finds their table and plops down. Big swig taken, her drink is almost gone. Her back hunched, Lizzy lets the awkward depression of the event wash over her. She knows she should be happy for Lou and Sam, and she is, but acting the part seems too hard right now.

She's a fuck up. She let something good go, she knows that now, and there's no getting it back. And as long as her sister is married to his brother, Dean will always be around to taunt her with what could have been if she had managed to pull her head out of her ass in time.

Brain rambling, a second double Maker's is placed in front of her and it pulls her from her mind. As hers is almost gone, the timing is impeccable.

Dean sits down next to her at the table with a smirk. "You were running on empty."

She sends him a slightly sad smile with the reminder of how great he is. "Thanks, smart ass."

"Thought you were done calling me that," Dean gets fake-offended.

"Never," she huffs a laugh as she turns in her chair to face him a bit. "You'll always be a smart ass."

"That _is_ true," he nods in agreement.

Lizzy laughs, unable to help it. She then sucks it up and reminds herself they're friends. "How have you been?"

"I'm good," Dean nods, settling into his chair more comfortably now that he can see her relaxing a bit. "I hired a new guy at the garage. He's super weird. Good but… weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, he calls himself Doctor Badass."

"What!?" Lizzy spits out, getting a good laugh.

"Yep. Gave himself the nickname."

"You can't give yourself a nickname," Lizzy denies the thought.

"That's what I told him!" Dean agrees with a giant smile. "I'm telling you, the guy is a cartoon character come to life. But he's damn good at his job so I love him. Just have to get used to his brand of special."

"Oh man," Lizzy shakes her head, grinning. "I gotta meet this guy."

"You know what? I'll give him your number. You guys would be perfect together," Dean jokes.

"Don't," Lizzy rolls her eyes at the thought.

"Oh, come on!" Dean grins, that mischievous glint in his eye. "You'll love him! He's a computer genius with the most glorious, perfect mullet since Joe Dirt. How can a woman resist that?"

"Mullet!? No!" Lizzy busts out a laugh, pushing him in the shoulder like she always used to when he'd get her going.

"Yes! And trust me, you have to see it to believe it…."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Dinner finished, Lou and Sam's thank you announced to the guests, and the night is winding down. Almost everyone has departed, the only people left in the function room are Sam and Lou cleaning up and Lizzy and Dean still in their seats at the dinner table.

"Oh my god!" Lizzy giggles out, her body turned completely to face Dean, his own form turned to her also. "Remember that!?"

"I had to throw out my best frying pan because of you!" Dean accuses with a grin, pointing at her.

"I told you I sucked at cooking!" she rebuts, swatting his finger away. "And you said to try it anyways!"

"I didn't know you were going to burn it that bad though!" Dean laughs hardily. "Jesus! The smoke detectors didn't stop for nearly ten minutes!"

"Ugh, I made your house smell for a week," Lizzy admits, hand pressed over her forehead. "What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking you were gonna make me dinner for my birthday… which I appreciated the effort, by the way," Dean sneaks the compliment in.

"Yeah, well… you got a new set of pans out of the deal, didn't you?" Lizzy reminds him how she made up for the mistake.

"See? Always thinking about me," Dean jokes back.

Lizzy face falters when he has no idea how right he is.

"Okay, you kids," Sam announces as he walks over to them. "They're closing up. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

"No one's going home, Sammy," Dean reminds him as all guests already in town are staying at the hotel next door. He looks at his watch and sees how late it is. "Shit. We should head out." He stands and Lizzy follows.

After a quiet walk back to the hotel, Sam and Lou depart for their own room. Lizzy smiles up at Dean next to her as they stand in the lobby. Damn she missed him. And seeing him looking so good, being so kind and getting along with her so well… she misses all of him. Cutting him off was a bad idea.

"So, um… my room is…" Lizzy starts to invite him to her room despite what a terrible idea it is.

She gets cut off.

"Dean!" a bright, cheery voice calls out through the hotel lobby.

When they both look to the voice, they see a beautiful woman walking their way with a small rolling suitcase. Her bright white teeth are showing within her dazzling smile. Her dark hair frames her tanned face. She's adorable. She's the girl next door type with a killer body.

"Lis, hey," Dean grins wide to her when he sees her. The second she reaches them Dean leans down to kiss her cheek and bring an arm around her lower back.

Lizzy feels all the air exit her lungs in one big whoosh.

"Lisa, this is my friend Lizzy," Dean introduces them. "She's the maid of honor."

"Hi!" Lisa perkily greets, holding out a hand. "Sorry I didn't make it to dinner. Work, you know?"

Gritting her teeth for a second, Lizzy shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you. You're Dean's date to the wedding?"

"Yes," she answers happily, her eyes peering up at him with nothing short of adoration. "Which might be crazy since we've only been on two dates but hey… I love weddings. So, why not?"

When Lisa laughs and the sound is purely cute and attractive as hell, Lizzy's sunk. She doesn't even really like women and _she'd_ want to be with Lisa. She's screwed.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," Lizzy starts to panic and depart. "But I'm going to head to my room. Have a, uh… good night."

Dean knows her smile is fake when she says it. His heart hurts. "Night, Lizzy."

Watching her walk for the elevators on the other side of the lobby, Dean's internally pissed. He could swear she just got disappointed by his having a date to the wedding. And now it dawns on him that she might not have one. He just assumed she would because she is Lizzy, she could have any guy she wanted.

But why would she be disappointed? She's the one that turned him away. She's the one that doesn't do relationships, right?

"Dean?" Lisa says him name and he realizes he's been staring at Lizzy across the wide open room this whole time he got stuck in his head.

He grins at her and pulls her closer into his side. "Sorry. Let's head up to my room, huh?"

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"They seemed cozy as fuck is all I'm saying," Lou tells him from the open bathroom door in the hotel suite as she brushes out her long blonde hair after the rehearsal dinner.

"When are they not?" Sam responds with annoyance as he's stretched out on the big, cushy bed, back to the large headboard and ankles crossed. "I don't like it."

"I wouldn't if I were you, too," Lou admits. "But you have to admit… it was kind of nice to see them get along."

"I don't think it was nice. It was unnerving," he corrects, pulling his tie loose and unbuttoning his top button.

"Well, I thought it was nice," Lou mumbles quietly before adding, "Maybe they just needed time away from each other to realize how much they like being around each other."

"Yeah…" Sam grumps, unhappy. He wanted Lizzy to leave his brother alone after everything. Dean's heart was broken by her lack of returned affection once he came clean to her and he doesn't want to see more of that. When Lizzy moved out and kept her distance, Dean had gotten sad. Really sad. Sam had never seen him like that and it wasn't good. He was finally getting better, seeming happier, before tonight. "I just hope he likes the girl he's bringing to the wedding enough to see that he doesn't need Lizzy."

"Or maybe…" Lou comes out of the bathroom in her short, form-fitting white lace dress from the dinner. "She'll make him realize Lizzy was a better choice."

"No offence to you… but I don't think she's a better choice."

The way Lou turns to look at him, offence fully taken, Sam regrets speaking up.

"I'm sorry. I'm just speaking from my particular perspective on this one."

Her face lightens. "I know. And I shouldn't get upset." Lou sighs and stands at the foot of the bed looking at him. "I know Lizzy's got her issues. And I know how difficult she is. But I also know she's totally aware of her fuck up. And that she knowns now that she wants Dean."

"She'll never apologize for the way everything went down." Sam shakes his head, knowing she's that stubborn.

With sadness, Lou admits, "Probably not. And it'll be her fault if that's why she loses him for good."

Sam runs his hands through his hair with frustration. "As much as you want them together, I just hope this Lisa woman can make him forget about her. Because I know if Lizzy just said the right thing, looked at him the right way… Dean would go right back to her."

Seeing the toll this has taken on Sam, the two brothers so close that one's pain are the other's pain as well, she reaches behind herself and pulls the zipper down the back of her dress.

"Why are we so damn concerned about our stupid, drama-filled siblings right now?" she wonders, threading her arms one at a time through the straps of her dress. She keeps eye contact as she shimmies the dress down her hips until it's pooled around her ankles. "It's _our_ weekend."

"It is," Sam nods, sitting up taller as he watches her undress. Immediately his hands reach to the fly of his slacks to open them.

"We're getting _married_ ," Lou keeps reminding, unhooking her bra and letting it join her dress.

"We _are_ ," Sam grins so wide with his excitement over that, kicking out of his pants.

"I'm not gonna let their crap interfere with our weekend," Lou declares resolutely, climbing up onto the bottom edge of the bed and crawling up his way with just her panties on. "Not anymore."

"That's a good plan," Sam agrees completely, his hands running up her arms as she climbs into his lap, straddling his thighs.

"So… from this moment until we get off the plane from Paris in a week and a half… no talk of stupid siblings and their bullshit," Lou sets the rule in place as she unknots Sam's tie and pulls it out of the collar of his shirt.

"I think that's a great idea," Sam lets her know he's fully on board as he weaves both hands into her long, wavy hair. "You're so smart."

"Better believe it," she smiles back before leaning into him. She presses her lips to his as she opens his shirt one button at a time.

As Sam pulls his arms out of his sleeve, he asks her, "Aren't we not supposed to do this before tomorrow or something?"

"We're not even supposed to be in the same room tonight," Lou laughs. "We're not all that traditional. Hell, you've already seen my dress."

"That's true," he concedes as he grabs her hips.

"So, fuck all tradition is what I say," she says. She grabs a handful of his brunette hair in each fist as she kisses his mouth, so comfortable with him. "Mm. Traditions are dumb."

"So dumb," Sam agrees as he speaks into her lips, never stopping. "Gotta make sure you don't get cold feet tomorrow."

"You think I'll change my mind?" Lou half laughs at the very idea.

"Not really," Sam smiles up at her. "But just in case." He grasps her hips hard and flips her onto her back. He then moves over her, kissing her lips once. "Can't hurt to give you a little demonstration of what life will be like with me." He then starts to lower down her body, sliding her underwear down her legs. "Make sure you'll stick with me."

"Oh, demo away, honey," Lou smirks with excitement as he settles face first between her legs. "God, I fucking love you…."

* * *

The wedding was short. It was simple. Lou dress wasn't overly ornate and the guest list was small. However, it was lovely and perfect for Lou and Sam.

And it went by so fast. Already they're halfway through their reception, the two of them sharing their first dance together.

"I feel weird," Sam tells her, eyes scanning the crowd of people around them all staring at them swaying together.

"Yeah… me too," Lou admits, making a sour face. "Maybe this whole first dance thing was a bad idea."

"It sounded nice in theory…."

"But now it's kinda creepy," Lou finishes his thought for him.

"Just pretend they aren't here," Sam tells her, smiling down at her as he remembers why today is wonderful. He takes in her long hair, wavy and adorned with flowers that matched her bouquet, and her lace dress. She's been grinning wide all day. She's perfect. "You're so beautiful."

She laughs. "I know. You've told me roughly a hundred different times."

"Well, it's not every day a guy gets to marry the most stunning girl in the world."

"That was cheesy," she smiles unstoppably.

"I stole that one from Dean," he jokes to her. "But it's true. You look amazing."

"Thanks," Lou says, pressing her body a little closer to his. "You're looking pretty damn good yourself."

"Aw," Sam jokes.

"Who knew you Winchesters could clean up so well."

"We're full of surprises." Sam grins, his face unable to stop smiling the entire day. "Lou… I love you."

"I love you, too," Lou tells him and he leans down to kiss her.

The room lights up in 'aw's and Lou ends the kiss with an eye roll.

"Would you people knock it off and get out here already!?" she yells to the crowd, everyone milling around making their way onto the dance floor in pairs.

Once it seems that the whole party is dancing around them, Sam nods. "Much better."

Lou hums in agreement.

"And now, maybe this time no one will notice if I do this," Sam smirks before placing a large hand to her cheek. He then leans down to kiss her, Lou easily accepting the embrace. Luckily no one bothers them this time in the sea of dancing people.

After a moment of leaning down to her much shorter height, Sam brings his arms around her back and lifts her off her feet. He stands tall, Lou held a good foot off the floor, and they continue to kiss each other and enjoy their newly made and official bond.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Eyes never leaving the dance floor, Lizzy sits at her table in her bridesmaid's dress. She has a cocktail in front of her and she spins the glass stem slowly in her fingers. She watches Lou get literally swept off her feet by one of the kindest men on the planet and she smiles sadly.

She then catches a glimpse of Dean in the crowd, Lisa's arms around his neck as they dance together. She makes him laugh, the genuine kind of laugh, and it's all Lizzy can do not to throw up.

This day sucks as much as it's good.

"You know, you could at least pretend to be happy for your older sister."

And now it just plain sucks.

"I _am_ happy for her, dad," Lizzy says in a teenage-level defiant tone. She turns to look up at him behind her seat. "See?" She points to her sarcastically smiling face. "Happy."

"Bullshit," her father calls her out as he holds out a hand. "Come on."

"Pass," Lizzy coldly answers.

"Liz, get up and dance with me before you make your sister more concerned about you on her wedding day than she is about her own self."

Biting her tongue, he makes a good point. That's not something she wants for Lou and, knowing her, she would be too concerned about her sister and she'd let it kill her big day.

With a huff, Lizzy slams back the rest of her Manhattan and gets up. She doesn't take his hand but follows him out to the dance floor. When they find a spot on the edge of the crowd, her father takes her hand now that he has to and she can't argue. She puts a palm on his shoulder and they start to move slowly, Lizzy looking around the room.

"I wanted to talk to you," Brian tells her, taking the chance when he sees it.

"We don't have anything to talk about," Lizzy simply tells him, looking past his shoulder at the wall of the banquet hall.

"I'm sorry," he tells her.

Eyes sharply flying to his, Lizzy's stunned. He even looks sincere.

"I am," Brian keeps going. "I know I've never said it before and meant it and that's… wrong. And cowardly. But I mean it. I'm sorry, Liz. For what I did in the past."

Her brow lowers and she gets mad. "Now? _Now_ is when you're finally sorry?"

"I know it's too late…."

"You're damn right it's too late," she tells him with anger, keeping her volume low for the surrounding guests. "Now that mom's gone you're finally realizing you're an asshole?"

Brian's face falls. "You're right to say all of that. You aren't wrong, Liz. I've made some massive mistakes. And I wish…." He pauses to clear his throat. "I wish it didn't take losing your mother for me to finally see how much of an asshole I was to her. And to you and your sister."

"That's so fucked," Lizzy gets mad at her father for his terrible timing.

"I loved your mother…."

" _Bullshit_."

"I didn't show it but I did," Brian keeps going. "I loved that woman… but I'm a damaged human being. I never had a good example of a loving, faithful marriage in my own home. And that's not an excuse, it's just the truth. I should have learned from my own dad… not repeated his mistakes. But I became what I hated growing up. I know what it did to me… and I see what it did to you."

Lizzy shakes her head, again avoiding his eyes. She wants to run away from this conversation but her macabre need to hear it all wins out.

"Lizzy, I'm sorry for what I did to you growing up. I know it wasn't fair to any of you. But most men are not like me. They aren't. There are good guys out there and Lou and I… we're worried about you."

"Fuck you," Lizzy huffs a laugh and starts to walk away, her father puling her back in by her hand.

"Young lady, you own me the rest of this song to say my peace. You do that then I'll never try and talk to you about this ever again and you can continue to ignore my existence if that's what you want."

Pausing, she thinks it over. It's a good deal. She returns to him and they keep dancing.

"I will forever have to live with how I treated your mom," Brian's voice wavers. "I… she was an amazing woman that never gave up on me when she absolutely should have. And I loved her so much… I just couldn't show it right and I… couldn't stop." He clears his throat again. "I wanted to stop."

Lizzy hears something familiar there. She's wanted to stop too. She's wanted to stop being _her_ so many times. She pushed Dean away and she wanted to stop herself but couldn't. She's wanted to stop having one night stands. She's wanted to find a real relationship. But she couldn't stop being the way she was. She knows how this feels.

"I will never be able to sincerely apologize to her. And I have to live with that every day for the rest of my life. I will always beat myself up for that every single day but I deserve that."

Lizzy looks at him with new eyes. He means it. She can tell. He's never meant it when he's told them he was sorry before now. It was always so empty… but not this time.

"Liz, don't live with regrets," Brian tells her. "I want far better for you than what my life has been. Don't screw up like me. Don't let your parent fuck you up that hard. Live a better life than I did." He leans in and kisses her cheek before telling her, "Believe it or not, I love you. And I've been a terrible dad. I just have to try and do what I can to make it up to you from here on out. Lizzy, honey… I'm really sorry."

Eyes watering over, Lizzy bites her bottom lip before she backs away from him. She wasn't ready for all this and everything he's saying is hitting her so hard. Everything from wounds from the past to her own fuck ups in her present life rush through her and she can't handle it all.

"Excuse me," she shakily tell him and flees the dance floor, heading for the hallway for the banquet hall.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

The second she rushes out of the large open room, Dean's put into action.

"Lis, I'll be right back, okay?" he asks kindly as he separates from her on the dance floor.

"Oh, uh… sure," Lisa agrees kindly and he's off, leaving her standing there. He'll apologize later. He needed to go.

Yes, Lizzy fucked up and broke his heart. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care tremendously about her. He kept an eye on her the entire time she was dancing and speaking to her dad. He wasn't close enough to hear a single word said but he knows how damaged that relationship is. After her mother passed away from breast cancer a few years back she all but cut him out for his cheating ways.

Lizzy and her father have a very broken relationship. Dean knows how hard it's been on Lizzy. It's why he's never blamed her for not being able to have a real relationship. It killed him but he never blamed her.

Just catching the sight of a door closing in the middle of the banquet hallway once he catches up to her, Dean runs to it. When he reaches the coat check closet he knocks on the door. No answer. "Lizzy?"

She doesn't respond but he knows she's in there.

"Lizzy, let me in?" Dean asks and still gets nothing. "Talk to me, please? I saw you with your dad… I just wanna know you're okay."

The door opens a crack and stops. He takes the cue and lets himself in.

Closing the door behind himself, the room is pitch black. Dean pulls his cell phone out of his suit pocket and turns on the flash light function to illuminate the small room. In the middle of the hung coats and empty hangers stands Lizzy, eyes red and watery with running makeup.

"Oh no," Dean says quietly, placing the phone on a shelf so he can hug her. He wraps his arms around her shaking form and she hugs him back, hard. "What did he say to you?"

She takes a deep breath and tells him, "He said he was sorry."

"What!?" Dean asks, pulling back to look at her. He knows the story. Her father never truly apologized, not once. "Seriously?"

"He did. And he actually meant it," Lizzy tells him, backing up a step to look at him. He cares so much about her, even after she disappointed him terribly and then left him high and dry. She was supposed to be his friend and after moving out she just stopped taking calls and texts and left him. Why did she do that?

"Holy shit. Why now?" Dean asks, needing to understand.

"He lost mom and it hit him. And… he doesn't want me to turn out like him. He's alone and sad… and he thinks I'll be the same," Lizzy explains basically, feeling everything start to pour out of her. If her dad can be honest with himself, then so can she. She needs to be. "I don't want him to ruin my life."

"So don't let him," Dean says, his hands coming to her upper arms at each side of her. "Lizzy, you don't have to let him do that to you."

"I fucked up," she says, a new wave of tears and sobs overcoming her. "Dean, I fucked up so bad."

"How?" he asks her.

"You," she says, inhaling deeply. "God, you. I fucked up everything with you."

Dean doesn't speak for a beat, eyes wide and heart beating hard. "What!?"

"I don't know why I pushed you away," Lizzy tells him, going for it. "I mean, I know why but I don't. You were my best friend. You were my favorite person. I loved being around you and just hanging out with you and, and… the sex… I mean, come on, right?"

"It _was_ good," Dean nods, agreeing with a smirk.

"I had everything with you… and all I had to do was trust you. And I couldn't. And you didn't do anything to make me mistrustful. It was all my shit. God, and now… I lost my chance. I know I did. You're here with Lisa… and that's cool. Actually, it's kinda awesome. She's so cute and she seems super nice…." She sighs hard and gathers herself. She breathes for a moment and collects her emotions, ending her sobbing. She wipes her eyes and then looks right at him. "You were right. About us. We were good and we should have been together. We made too much sense to not be together. And I ruined it. So… I'm sorry, Dean. I am so sorry I didn't see it until it was too late…."

She's cut off by a pair of perfect lips pressing sweetly to hers. She's shocked. Just a moment ago she was spilling her guts, feeling like an idiot for doing it the way that she did, and now she's being kissed by the one man she was sure would never want her again.

Taking advantage, she kisses him back. Her hands come up to cup his jaw on each side and she absorbs it all. They were always so good physically. Everything came together when they would touch in any way. And damn, she missed simply kissing him.

When Dean ends it and backs off just a few inches, hands still gripping her upper arms, Lizzy opens her eyes to see green ones locked on her and filled with sincerity.

"I still… Lizzy, I…." Dean stops and wrinkles his brow, trying to formulate the words. "Every day. I think about you every single day still. Lizzy, I never got over you. I tried. I went on dates, fooled around a couple times, brought some girl I just met to my own brother's wedding… but I still always thought about you. Even after you stopped responding to me."

She tries to speak but can't. She never expected this. The assumption was that he was past it all and she missed her window. A smart man would have gotten over her as quickly as possible.

"You're an idiot," Lizzy tells him with a hint of happiness for his stupidity.

"Yeah, well… you're not much better. Hate to tell ya." He smiles at her.

If she didn't know for sure how much she wanted him beforehand, then she definitely knows now. And now that she's sure he's still wanting her too… she _needs_ him. "I want to try and not suck. And be a real adult for once."

Dean laughs at that. "I would love for you to be a real adult with me."

She smiles and sighs at how damn cute he is. "Are you serious?"

He looks at her like she's insane. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"

"Yes."

"Then why the hell wouldn't I be serious? All I want is you."

She then surges forward and kisses him, arms around his neck. She couldn't help it. Never in a million years, with all the mistakes she's made, could she have guessed that this day would end up like this. Mid-kiss she laughs a little before leaning back away from him a bit. She looks directly at him and asks him, "Is this where we fuck in a coat check closet at my sister's wedding?"

"God, I hope so," Dean answers and attacks her, lips pressed to hers in a sudden frenzy as he already has his jacket halfway down his arms.

"Oh, fuck yeah," Lizzy responds quickly, hiking her short bridesmaid dress up to pull her panties off, all the while attached to Dean at the lips. She starts to kick out of her heels.

"No. Keep 'em on," Dean tells her, reaching for her. He slides his hands hastily up her dress, bunching it up above her hips as he grabs her sides.

Kissing him more, Lizzy's hands fly to his slacks, opening them blindly as quickly as she can. "Shit," Lizzy says with disappointment, pumping her fist over his manhood. "I don't have a condom."

Dean just looks at her with pure let down. "I didn't bring anything."

They stare each other down for a moment, contemplating.

"I'll go to the pharmacy tomorrow morning," Lizzy tells him her intentions before slamming her lips to his again, her tongue on his immediately.

"You… sure?" Dean asks, already grabbing her thighs and lifting her up. She took Plan B once before when they were living together and got so drunk they forgot protection. It made her sick to her stomach for a full day.

"Dude, worth it," Lizzy informs him as he presses her back to the far wall of the coat room. "I'm sure."

"But you'll be sick…" Dean starts to remind her but she presses a hand over his mouth to silence him.

"Dean," she says his name hard and serious. "Fuck me."

He didn't need further prompting. Nodding his head hard, she takes her hand back.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Damn it," Sam mutters in a quiet tone as he watches Dean walk back into the ballroom adjusting his suit. His hair is sticking up on the right and his boutonniere is at a very off angle.

"What?" Lou wonders, looking up at him with confusion.

"That," Sam points at the doorway as Dean walks in towards Lisa, his date now sitting at her table waiting for Dean to return.

Right after they both catch Lizzy coming in too, her professionally done hair half down now and she's wearing a suspicious smile.

"Fuck," Lou echoes, her voice much happier than Sam's.

"If this falls apart, I swear, I'm not listening to Dean's heartache bullshit," Sam declares now.

"There won't be any heartache," Lou shakes her head. "Lizzy won't fuck this up again."

"Yeah right…"

"And I'll remind you of your lack of faith on their wedding day," Lou says with a big smile, fixing the lapels of his suit coat. "And I thought we weren't talking about them until after the honeymoon?"

"Right," Sam nods, his eyes still on Dean. He's worried. He doesn't have faith in this.


	7. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 6)

**THREE YEARS LATER**

"Fuck… fuck… fuck…."

Pacing the hallway outside of the bathroom, Lizzy watches the timer tick away on her phone. Two minutes. Two minutes and her fate, her entire future, is going to be decided for her. Just two stupid, way too short minutes…

The timer goes off and Lizzy briefly thinks she might puke.

"Okay… it's gonna be okay. Everything will be okay," she nods to herself, her mini pep talk all bullshit and she knows it.

Deep breath, Lizzy walks into the bathroom and to the vanity counter. She looks.

"Oh, fuck me!" she yells out with fear and anger… and shock. "No fucking way!" She steps back from the white plastic stick of terror, her heart hammering as she presses a hand over her mouth.

Plus sign. She's pregnant.

"How the fuck did this happen?" she whispers to herself as she walks back out of the bathroom in a daze, needing to put some distance between herself and the test of doom. She meanders the house as her mind flies. Surprised isn't exactly a strong enough word for what she feels.

She's pregnant. She's going to have a baby. She's literally creating a person as she stands there, one that will grow up and call her mom. And drain her already not full enough bank account. And need college tuition. And basic guidance. And a responsible parent.

That's not her! She's not responsible! She can't give guidance to a kid if she's still a kid at heart herself!

Well, she's not a kid technically, she's aware. Lizzy just lives like one. She still gets drunk every single weekend and certainly doesn't want to stop. At the age of twenty-nine she has no plans to change her lifestyle at all… but this changes everything, whether she's ready or not.

Sitting onto the couch she holds her head in her hands for a second. What the fuck is she going to do?

"Louie!" she remembers and frantically pulls Lou's number up on her phone, dialing instantly. Her sister has talked her down from every single ledge in her life. This is the biggest one she's stood on yet. Thankfully she'll always have Lou to prevent her from jumping. Lou can help get her through this….

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"I'm worried about possible issues with the lining of your uterus at this point. And your hormone levels worry me, Lou."

Sitting in a chair across the desk from her OBGYN doctor, Lou swallows hard. "What does that mean?"

"It means, as of right now, with your extremely low levels of estrogen… there's no way you'll be able to get pregnant no matter what state your uterus is in," the doctor rips off the band aid.

The punch to the gut makes it hard to breathe. Lou shakes her head with disbelief and asks, "I won't get pregnant like this?"

"No."

"Ever?"

"Oh, no," her doctor smiles kindly. "I wouldn't count pregnancy out for you at this point, not by a long shot. However, it might take time and a lot of investigating to find out what the cause of the problem is and how to treat it."

"Okay," Lou nods as she feels her phone start to vibrate in her pocket. She pulls it out to peek, sees Lizzy's name, and silences the ringer. She puts it back into her pocket. Lizzy can wait.

"So, here's what we need to do," the doctor starts, pulling out a few pages from a file folder. "Because of your insurance, you need to find an infertility specialist to work with in order to further investigate. They require a specialist for you to receive coverage. Here's a list of the ones that are covered by your insurance company. Once you have an initial meeting with a specialist, they will set you up with the proper tests you'll need to investigate the root of your infertility."

Infertility. Infertile. She'd never placed that label on herself before now but after two years of trying and two years of failing it makes sense. But that word… it's so ugly. She can feel the lump forming in the back of her throat.

"I'll look into them," Lou nods, voice suddenly much quieter as her new reality sets in. "Um… so, what kind of tests do you think they'll need to do?"

"Well, I can't speak on your new doctor's behalf but I can almost guarantee that Sam's sperm count will need to be tested to make sure that once they solve your possible issues that you will be able to conceive."

"That's easy," Lou nods.

"Trust me, for men this is the easy." She smiles at Lou comfortingly. "Past that, you'll probably have some ultrasounds, they will test your egg count which will probably be on the high side as the low levels of estrogen tend to prevent egg release. And you'll have more detailed testing of your levels. Also, an MRI might be necessary."

Lou closes her eyes for a moment, willing back the tears. All she wanted was what everyone else wants. She just wants a family. She simply wants to be a mom. Never before now did she think that'd be such a huge thing to desire. Why is this so damn hard for her?

"Lou, it's going to be alright," her doctor kindly tells her, reading her thoughts. "I know it's overwhelming and it feels like it's not going to happen because it's been a while already… but trust me. It'll happen. It's very rare that I see someone that needs to look for options outside of pregnancy. We're going to figure this out."

"It's just a long road ahead, right?" Lou looks for some more reassurance.

"It may be but Lou, you _will_ find a way to be a mother," she tells her the truth. The doctor then takes the paper with infertility specialists listed on it back. She circles one particular name with her pen. "Call Doctor Sanchez. He's a friend. He's the best around here. Generally I'm not supposed to pull favorites but… just trust me. He very proactive. And honestly, I have three children myself because of him."

Lou nods, looking at the pages of information she was given. Pamphlets and lists and printouts… and this is just the very beginning. This is completely overwhelming.

She wants to cry.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Fuck!" Lizzy shouts with frustration when Lou doesn't answer.

She tosses her phone aside and shakes her head. Lou always answers her calls. Always. Why is now the one time she ignores her call? What the fuck?

Okay, just breathe a minute here. This isn't the end of the world. This is nothing she's ever planned or wanted but… fuck, this is a nightmare!

"Honey! I'm home!"

"Damn it," Lizzy quietly panics in a new way when she stands up sharply from the couch and plasters on a fake smile. "Hey," she greets back with a strange voice, knowing she sounds off. Okay, she needs to get it together.

When he walks into the living room, Dean gives her one look and can tell something's not quite right with her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lizzy shakes her head and tries to play it off. She's not ready to tell him. More time. Maybe tomorrow after she processes the shock. Yeah, tomorrow first thing. Definitely by lunch time.

Dean just cocks an eyebrow and stares at her a little longer. "Awkward. You sure you're okay?"

"Totally. What are you doing home so early?" Lizzy changes the subject. Usually he's home a couple hours later than this so she uses that.

"Finished up ahead of schedule. Told everyone I was going home and had Ash promise to lock up. It's good to be the boss," he smirks at her with a wink and drops his jacket on the back of his favorite leather upholstered chair.

"Guess so," she keeps her forced smile in place. "I, uh… I called Mari and had her cover for me tonight." _Because I got scared that I couldn't get through a shift if I found out I was knocked up…._

"Nice!" Dean lights up as he heads for the hallway. "We should go out for dinner."

"Sure," Lizzy nods despite the fact that the simple idea of food is making her stomach churn with nerves.

"Let me just wash up and we can go." He smiles wide with excitement and walks for the bathroom.

The minute he's gone she lets out a hard breath. How the hell is she going to keep up this everything's-fine attitude all night? Damn it. She just needed time to sort this out, maybe try and accept what's happening….

"Shit!" Lizzy freaks out when she realizes she left the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter. Dean's in the bathroom.

Sprinting down the hall, she comes to a skid-stop in the doorway to find Dean standing in front of the sink, the plastic stick with a bright blue plus sign on it in his hands as he inspects it. His brow is wrinkled and lowered as he tries to figure out exactly what he's looking at.

Okay, huge problem. She panics for real now. What does she do?

"I'm late," Lizzy blurts out when she doesn't really know how else to approach this. Just get it over with is her only option now. "A week late. I thought at first it was the stress of the bar getting expanded but then I thought about it rationally… and I got freaked. I missed a couple pills so I got a test. I didn't think you'd be home yet…"

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Dean asks, holding out the pregnancy test to her as he peers at her eyes for answers.

Lizzy tries to confirm it verbally but her voice fails. She just nods in the affirmative.

Dean then looks back down at the pregnancy test with a blank face.

"I know we never talked about this. I mean, we don't really ever talk about the future past tomorrow, like, ever. I don't know if you ever even wanted to be a dad. And, and… shit. We don't have the money for this socked away and it's a total life changer…."

She stops when Dean looks back to her again, this time the brightest grin she's ever seen him have on his face. Her heart skips when she sees this unexpected reaction from him.

"We're gonna have a baby?" Dean asks, his voice full of hope.

"Uh… looks like it," Lizzy answers with nothing but fear in her tone.

He lets out one disbelieving laugh, eyes glazing over a little with the news.

"Wait, you're okay with this?" Lizzy wonders, seeing his reaction.

"Are you kidding?" he asks, his voice cracking. He rushes for her, arms open as he embraces her. His arms tightly hold her as she can hear him let out a laugh that suspiciously sounds like a sob. "This is awesome."

And for the first time Lizzy relaxes just a little. He's happy. Truly happy. She never let herself think of this response as an option.

"You're… really, honestly good with this?" Lizzy hesitantly questions.

Dean lets her go and wipes his eyes with one hand, the positive test still in his other. "Lizzy… we're a family now. You're… you're gonna give me a kid. Yeah. I'd call it happy." He then grins so wide it hurts his cheeks and he watches Lizzy loosen up with it.

"I gotta be honest here… I'm fucking scared."

"Why?" Dean needs to know, not understanding.

"We don't have the money for this…."

"Money can be figured out," Dean brushed her worry off.

"We… shit, we're not married."

"Who cares?"

"And… I'm a fuck up," Lizzy finally airs her true concern.

"No you're not," Dean denies her though immediately.

"Yes I am," Lizzy corrects him with annoyance. "I drink too much. I stay out late like I'm still in college. I don't act anything like an adult…."

"Lizzy," Dean interrupts her and she stops talking to stare at him. "Do you want this?" he asks with icy fear, clearly concerned about her thoughts on the new turn of events.

"I… I don't know," she confesses, her hands on her hips. "I never even thought about having kids before."

"But now that we are… what do you think?" Dean needs to know, still scared she'll tell him she doesn't want a family. Damn it, why didn't they talk about this in all the years they've been together? They've always just kind of lived day to day.

She just takes a second to think and look at the man she's still wildly in love with. Every day they spend together, from eating meals to watching television to going to bed… whether it be for fun or just honest sleep… is better than the last. They're so good together, have so much love for one another, that sharing that with another person, one they created together, suddenly doesn't seem all that bad. It kind of seems good… beautiful even. And the excitement Dean's showing is pretty infectious.

"I'm terrified," she starts with. "And I wasn't ready at all. But… we did this." Without knowing it, her hand comes to her lower abdomen. "And I guess it's happening, ready or not."

Dean nods at her and lets her go on.

"I want this," she shockingly tells him. "I can't believe I'm saying this but… I want to have a family. With you. Holy shit." She then hysterically starts laughing once everything actually, finally hits her. "Oh my god! I'm fucking pregnant! Ha!"

Dean starts up too, the sound contagious. After a moment he walks back into her space and hugs her again. He then presses his lips to hers, kissing the woman he's nuts about and is about to make him a father.

"Shit, I gotta call Sam," Dean backs away when he thinks about his brother.

"I haven't told Lou yet."

"Really!?" Dean is surprised.

"Of course. I needed to tell you first." When Dean just looks at her with a bullshit-calling face, she fesses up. "She didn't answer her phone."

"Ah, makes sense," Dean smiles.

"Can't we wait for tonight?" Lizzy requests. "Tell them tomorrow? We can swing by their place and do it in person. I think I need tonight to wrap my head around this."

"Good idea," Dean agrees as he unexpectedly reaches out to grab the bottom hem of her t-shirt and lifts it over her head. He then grabs her hips and pulls her closer. "We should really celebrate anyways."

The way he smiles at her, all boyish charm and sweetness, she smiles right back. "You better be talking about sex because I can't drink anymore."

"Jesus, are you gonna survive?" Dean laughs at her.

"Just help me past the withdrawals and I'll be fine," she jokes in return.

Grinning like an idiot, Dean looks down at her flat stomach and runs a hand across her smooth skin, his fingers right above the life growing inside her. The life that's half his. How amazing. Eyes on hers, he tells her, "God, I love you."

"You're such a girl," Lizzy says to him before pulling him down into a heated, long kiss.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"And that's everything," Lou tells him, her voice downtrodden as she places the last pamphlet into the pile of informative papers on the coffee table. She looks at her husband sitting next to her after going through everything she was told at her appointment earlier that afternoon and sighs. "It's a lot."

"A lot more than I was ready for," Sam admits, running his hands through his hair.

"Me too," Lou quietly responds. She then sighs again.

"But if this is what it takes… then we do it, right?" Sam comments, ready to dive in head first to get what they want so badly in life.

Lou nods slowly before biting her lower lip. Hesitantly, she airs her concern. "But are we sure we should be doing all this?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam quickly asks, upset by the question.

"Maybe… maybe this is god or whatever telling us that kids just aren't in the cards for us," Lou explains her fears. "I mean, two years is a long time to try and never once be successful. And all this?" She points to the pile. "How many procedures do I have to go through before we're told it's worthless to keep trying? After we go through all this we still may not be able to have kids."

Sam steels his face to not give away his own worries to her. He then leans into her and pulls an arm around her shoulders. "Lou… do you want a family?"

"I don't know now," her voice wavers, eyes watering. "I don't know about all this. It's so fucking much…"

"It's scary. I know that. But I'm gonna ask again and I need to you to be honest," Sam sternly says to her. "Do you want a family?"

She thinks quickly, taking a deep breath with the pain in her chest over all their failures and now the unexpected expense/medical invasiveness throw at them. She peers up at him as her eyes water over. "More than anything."

Not able to handle this kind of pain from his wife, Sam pulls her into his lap. Getting her seated across his legs, he holds her tight in his arms as she starts to cry.

"This sucks," Sam tells her as she turns her face into his neck and lets go. "And it isn't fair. But if you still want this, because I know I do for sure… then this will be worth it. It'll be difficult and it'll be expensive and it'll probably hurt but… if you want this and you're willing to do anything for it then we have to try. We'll figure it all out. We'll figure out the money and the time it'll take. Everything will be fine, Lou."

"What if we can't?" Lou airs her biggest, most concerning fright.

"Then we adopt," Sam shrugs. "There are kids that need good, loving homes. We can provide that."

Lou stays quiet with that.

"Is that an option you'd consider?" Sam wonders, looking down at her wet, tear-streaked face.

"I hadn't let myself think about it before now, truthfully." She sniffles and makes eye contact. "But I would be happy with that. If we can't have kids."

"See," Sam smiles at her, it being forced but he hopes she can't tell. "No matter what, we will figure this out. I won't let this ruin your dreams, Lou. Someday, before you know it, there will be someone calling you mom. I promise."

She collapses into sobs at the very idea. When they first started trying to conceive she never imagined this happening. She assumed by now they'd have a one year old running around their house. Instead she's the one sitting in Sam's lap crying, not their child. This is just so painfully unfair.

"Why us?" Lou has to ask. "Why did we get this thrown at us? We're good people. We would give a child a good, happy home. Why us? It doesn't make sense."

"You're right, it doesn't," Sam concurs. "We're gonna be amazing parents and it seems weird that we're the ones that can't have that easily. But hell, my mom always said that God only gives the tough stuff to those strong enough to handle it. We can handle this. We just have to be strong and not give up."

Lou nods, sniffling again. "Can I just be weak about it for tonight then?"

He can feel his heart tearing in two for her. "Definitely."

Lou then collapses into the sobs she's been holding back all day. This is the worst. Lou is absolutely devastated and Sam can't do anything to make it better. They're both helpless. And they both just want what's normal to want… what people that don't deserve it manage to get every damn day.

Lou was right. Why them?

* * *

Pulling the front door open, Sam's surprised to see his brother standing there with his girlfriend.

"Hey, guys," he greets and steps aside to let them in.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean grins wide and walks in, clapping Sam on the shoulder as he walks by him.

"Hi, Sam," Lizzy also greets while following Dean in.

"What are you two doing here?" Sam asks cordially, surprised by their dropping by. "We didn't plan this or anything, right?" He's hoping he didn't just simply forget they were coming over today. He has enough on his mind recently that forgetting wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

"We went out for breakfast and thought we'd stop by," Dean simply answer. "We wanted to talk to you and Lou for a minute."

"Is everything okay?" Sam gets concerned by this, knowing they aren't exactly sit down and talk kind of people.

"Fine," Lizzy assures. "Just… wanted to talk. Is Lou here?"

"She's upstairs. Let me grab her," Sam says simply and gestures to the living room. "Take a load off."

Sam sprints up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and heads for the bedroom. Lou's still out of sorts after yesterday and he let her sleep in. He now has to get her up as much as he doesn't want to.

"Hey," Sam says quietly as he walks into their room, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her. "Lou. Hon, wake up."

"Mm?" she hums as she slowly opens her eyes. She sees Sam sitting there and she smiles a little. "Hey. What's going on?"

"Dean and Lizzy are here," Sam tells her. "They wanted to talk to us about something."

"Weird," Lou scrunches her face up, having the same reaction as Sam did. "Is everything okay?"

"They said it was." He nods to assure her while rubbing a gentle hand up and down her arm.

Lou sits up. "Shit. You think they're finally gonna get hitched?"

Sam laughs, knowing they've been speculating for years on that. "Maybe. Let's go find out."

"Gimme, like, two minutes?"

Sam smiles. "Sure. You feeling better today?"

"Yeah," she says hopefully. "A little bit. I think we can do this."

He then grins wide. "Yeah we can. Alright, get up."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Morning," Lou greets, smiling to her guests as she settles into the couch next to Sam. She really is feeling better, she didn't lie about that. A good night's sleep after a good amount of crying to let it out of her system and she's better. Hopeful even.

"Whoa," Lizzy laughs a little. "You look… tired."

"I am tired," Lou lies completely. She knows her sister will do nothing but worry about her if she tells the truth. She's not ready to spill it all to her just yet. Maybe once they have a plan in place….

"You feeling alright?" Lizzy pushes on, very concerned.

"Just tired, Lizzy. I promise," Lou forces a smile. "So, what's up?"

Dean's face breaks out in a massive smile as he looks at Lizzy.

She just grins back. "You wanna tell them?"

"This is more your news than mine," Dean reminds her, thinking she has more of a right to the news than he does.

"Okay," Lizzy nods, biting her lip as she looks across the room from the loveseat at her sister and brother-in-law. "Well, kinda unexpected… and totally not planned…."

"Just tell me you're getting married finally," Lou jokes a little, thinking she's completely right.

"No," Lizzy stops her, smile still in place. "But… uh… well, you're gonna be an aunt." She lets out a big breath she's been holding.

The air in the room gets sucked out as Lou and Sam both just stare at her with seemingly no response.

"Um… okay…." Lizzy worries about their lack of reaction.

"Guys. We're having a baby!" Dean grins wider than even before. Again, the pair look blank. "Anything?"

Worried as all hell as his heart plummets into his stomach, Sam looks sharply to his side at Lou with fear. After yesterday this couldn't have come at a worse time for her. His heart is racing with concern.

"Lou?" Sam checks on her and grabs her hand from her lap. She immediately takes it back and glances at him for a quick second. He sees the tears already forming.

"Lou… you alright?" Lizzy questions when her sister doesn't bust out in excitement for her like she assumed she would.

Lou looks at her sister and in a small, sad voice she says, "That's, uh… ha. That's great."

Her face and voice don't at all match her words. She's falling apart.

Lizzy and Dean are at a loss. Neither are reacting like they'd hoped. "I know this is kinda unexpected…" Dean starts. "And honestly, it was completely unexpected for us too…"

"Oh god," Lou sobs out as she stands up. "I'm sorry. I gotta…." She looks around a bit and decides she can't be in the same room as her sister right now. "Lizzy… I'm happy for you. I swear. I, uh… I'm sorry."

Lou walks out of the room crying.

Lizzy stands up immediately and starts to follow her sister, knowing she has to help her, but Sam stops her.

"Lizzy, don't," he says to her. "Sit down. I think I need to talk to you guys, too."

"What the fuck is going on?" Lizzy asks, sitting back down next to Dean and placing her hand on his knee, gripping it with worry.

"We had a rough day yesterday," Sam explains. "And your news… it's great news. Please know that. Honest truth, we're really happy for both of you. I just need you to understand that… it's just bad timing. _Really_ bad timing."

"Sam?" Dean simply asks, looking for more.

"Lou and I… we've been trying to get pregnant for two years now," Sam gets it over with. "And we can't seem to make it happen."

"What!?" Lizzy gets more than concerned. "She never told me you guys were trying to have a kid."

"She wanted it to be a surprise," Sam explains. "She hasn't told _anyone_. Neither have I. We wanted the news to be out of the blue when it happened. But… it just never worked out that way."

The guilt starts to creep in right then, Lizzy's heart aching for her sister and Sam. She presses a hand over her mouth as she listens, her grip on Dean's knee tightening even more.

"Yesterday she had an appointment with her usual doctor. They told her she needs to start seeing an infertility specialist to figure out what's going on. It's pretty invasive, some of the procedures… and it looks like it could take a long time. It was just a really difficult day for her… for me, too. We really thought we would have had a child by now…."

"Oh, god," Lizzy voice raises as the tears start to form. "And I just came over here and told you we're pregnant. And you and Lou have been dealing with this… and yesterday… fuck. And this was an accident…."

"Unplanned," Dean corrects, not seeing an accident at all.

"Whatever," Lizzy sighs. "Oh god, I can't believe we just did that."

"You didn't know," Sam shakes his head. "On any other day you know we would have been celebrating with you over this. And we really are happy for you guys. This is _really_ great news…."

"We understand, Sammy," Dean lets his brother know. "We're just sorry the timing is so terrible."

"It is pretty bad," Sam huffs out in disbelief.

"What do you have to do?" Lizzy wants to know, already fully into the issue they're dealing with.

"What _don't_ we have to do… or what doesn't _Lou_ have to do," Sam explains. "It's almost all on her. Every test or procedure is for her to go through except one. It's completely uneven."

Lizzy reads the guilt and pain all over Sam. He's not dealing all that well either but he's keeping it together for Lou.

"It's a whole list, really. I'm not gonna go through it all now," Sam tells them in a tired voice. "The point is that Lou's not doing well with this. Going through all the information the doctor gave her last night made us realize how big this all is. The time, the money, the pain… but we want this. We want a family and we're gonna make it work. We're determined."

"We can help," Dean offers immediately. "You need money, we can help you guys out." Lizzy nods enthusiastically to agree.

"Dean," Sam smiles warmly for the first time all day. " _You_ need your money. You have a child of your own to raise. Don't worry about that. We can figure it out."

Dean looks hurt by the refusal but he knows Sam's right.

"I talked to her last night about telling you everything she's going through because I know she could use the support." He's looking right at Lizzy for this. "She didn't want to say anything before but now, I know talking about everything instead of hiding it would be beneficial."

"But I've got to be the last person she wants to talk to right now," Lizzy says quietly, wiping her eyes. She's so sad for them and she feels helpless and so guilty.

"Maybe… but you're still her sister. You being pregnant is going to be incredibly difficult for her to deal with but that has nothing to do with you being her best friend," Sam explains. "I like to think Lou's stronger than letting this stop her from being able to turn to you when she needs you."

"Fuck," Lizzy laments, tears still falling. "I don't want this for her. Or for you. You guys don't deserve this shit."

"You're right… but that's life."

"If there's anything we can do, you'll let us know, right?" Dean offers to his little brother. "Anything at all. You name it, we're there."

Sam nods. "Thanks." He then looks at Lizzy. "I think you should try and talk to her."

"No way," Lizzy denies the idea. "I have the one thing she wants and I don't deserve it half as much as she does. How the hell do I even be in the same room as her right now?"

"You're still her sister," he repeats.

Lizzy looks fearful about the very idea of speaking to Lou right now.

"Please. Just try and talk to her," Sam tries again. "I think it'd be good to have her best friend with her right now."

Nervous, Lizzy's resigned. She just nods and stands up. "Okay. I'll try."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

A few deep breaths and Lizzy raises her fists. She stares at Lou's bedroom door and pauses. Her sister is her life, her best friend… and she's never once until now been terrified to speak to her.

No. Lou needs her. Sam's right. Her sister needs her and it'd be selfish to run away because she's scared. She quit running away from scary things a long time ago.

Knocking lightly, Lizzy waits. She doesn't get an answer but she knows she just heard a quiet sniffle.

"Lou-Lou?" Lizzy calls out, using a nickname from childhood. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm fine, Lizzy," Lou says in a voice that is anything but fine. "Just… go celebrate or something. I'll be fine."

"You're a liar," Lizzy calls her out right away. "And I think we should talk."

"I don't want to."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't."

"Lizzy… just go away…."

"I'm coming in," Lizzy finally says and opens the door. When she steps inside the room she finds Lou sitting on the end of her bed with a hunched back, tissues in hand as she cries. Lizzy's heart breaks. "Oh, Lou."

"Lizzy, seriously…" Lou starts to tell her to leave but instead Lizzy sits on the carpet at her feet and looks right at her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lizzy tells her, looking up at her big sister. "Talk to me."

"I don't want to ruin your big news." Lou sniffles and wipes her face.

"Fuck my news. We can deal with it another day. Please talk to me about what's going on with you." Lizzy reaches up and places both hands on her sister's knees. "You always talk to me so let's go."

Lou sobs hard once before finally meeting Lizzy's eyes. "Why now?"

"What do you mean?" Lizzy asks, unsure of what she's asking about exactly.

"Why did you have to get pregnant now?" Lou questions, her chest hurting. "I mean, it's good news. And I hope you're happy since I know there's no fucking way you were trying for this."

Lizzy smiles. "You know me too well."

Lou rolls her eyes, as if to say no shit.

"It _was_ an accident," Lizzy admits with a nod. "Or as Dean says, unplanned. He hates the word accident."

"It's kinda ugly." Lou wipes her eyes again.

"Yeah, it is. But I don't know… I missed a pill or two this month and… I fucked up." Lizzy shrugs her shoulders. "Are you surprised by that?"

"You fucking up is pretty par for the course," Lou half-laughs within a cry.

"So, I fucked up and now… I'm having a baby before I'm ready. We're excited about it. And that's all I'm saying on it for today," Lizzy fairly warns. "Lou, why didn't you tell me what's going on?" She can see very easily that this has been hurting Lou for so long now and she just kept holding it in instead of letting it out.

"I wanted the big news moment," Lou admits so sadly. "I wanted to surprise you and Dean. I wanted to pee on a stick and be shocked and so excited… and that's gone now." Her breath hitches with the admission.

Lizzy just grips hard on her knees. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. And if you can get there… what does it matter how it happens? That's small stuff."

"Yeah…" Lou only partially agrees. "I guess that's true."

"It is. Now… what's going on with you?" Lizzy asks her, ready to know everything.

"Well… right now it's my hormones. They're all fucked up," Lou tells her. "I can't release eggs so I can't get pregnant."

"How do they fix that?"

"Meds. Or hormone treatments if meds don't work. But they have to check everything, and I mean _everything_ , before they let me do that to make sure that if I do take hormones it'll take. And… my doctor thinks I might have an issue with the lining of my uterus too. I don't know much else besides that." Lou sighs and stares at her sister. "I'm just really sad."

"I can understand that," Lizzy tells her and grabs her hands, placing their linked fingers on Lou's knees again.

"And I'm scared," she falls back into sobs.

"Of what?" Lizzy wonders.

"What if we can't?" she cries with deep rooted fear. "What if we can't have children ever?"

Lizzy's face falls as she listens, dying for his sister.

"What if we do all this and spend all our money… and still aren't pregnant?" Lou wonders aloud, finally spilling everything to her best friend. "What if we do everything we're supposed to and we end up broke and no closer to being a family."

"First of all, you _are_ a family," Lizzy corrects. "You and Sam, me and Dean… we're a family already so don't think for a second that you don't have that."

Lou rolls her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I do," Lizzy nods. "But I also know that this will be figured out. You will be a mom. I promise that."

"How do you know?"

"You think I'm gonna let my big sister be miserable in life? Fuck that!" Lizzy tells her, making Lou actually crack half a smile at that. "I'm with you on this one-hundred percent. You need me to drive you to appointments? Done. Need a little help with the crazy bills? Just let Dean and I know, no shame in that. And if you need help adopting? Not a problem. Hell, if you just need to yell at someone and be pissed off, I'm all for it."

Lou smiles and cries harder at the same time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Don't say sorry to me. Say sorry to yourself. You're the one that suffered for it, you moron."

"Fuck you," Lou sniffles. "Thank you."

"I love you, Lou-Lou," Lizzy reminds her and leans up to hug her sister tight. "I'm always here for you, especially now."

"I love you too," Lou sobs out.

"And I mean it," Lizzy reinforces. "You need anything, and I mean _anything_ … just tell me."


	8. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 7)

**THREE YEARS LATER**

"Seven… eight… nine… ten," the nurse counts down for her. "Okay, Lizzy. Relax. Almost there."

"Fuck," Lizzy exhales and breathes hard. "God damn, I forgot how much this sucked."

"Yeah, but you're killing it," Dean tells her from the side of the hospital bed, arm hooked under knee. He smiles at her with total love. "You got this."

"Whatever," Lizzy says, looking at the big clock on the wall. "Two hours? Seriously? That's it! These fuckers are coming out in the next ten minutes." She's had it. Pushing for two hours? Nope.

"I'm thinking a few more pushes and you should have the first one out," the nurse informs her. "The head is right there."

"Yeah, I know!" she frustratingly tells the nurse, feeling it all.

"How we doing in here?" a new voice asks and her doctor walks in. "I'm told we're near the end."

"Better be!" Lizzy jokes as she can feel another contraction coming. "Alright, I'm making this one count."

"One… two…" Lou starts to count as she holds Lizzy's other leg for her. "Three… four…."

As she counts, Lou smiles wider than wide with excitement.

"Nine… ten." She lowers Lizzy's leg and bravely takes a look. She starts to tear up when she can see the head ready to come out. "Oh… my god."

"Mom?" the doctor asks as he settles into place with all his instruments at the ready. Lou looks right at him. "Shirt off. You know the drill. You're up the moment this little one is out."

Shaking with excitement, Lou pulls her shirt overhead. Sam's there behind her with a hospital gown, holding it out for her to thread her arms through.

"Lizzy, you give me one more good push and we will be in good shape," the doctor informs her with a smile. "You ready?"

"Fuck yeah. Get these kids outta me," Lizzy tells him, so done with it all. When her next contraction starts she takes a deep breath. The nurse takes up her leg in place of Lou and starts the countdown for her.

"Okay… almost there… a little more, Lizzy," the doctor says and by count seven he has a screaming, squirming, tiny person in his hold.

"Oh… my god," Lou sobs out the second she sees the little boy. She watches them minimally clean him off and clamp the cord.

"Dad?" the doctor looks to Sam with a pair of scissors in hand.

Sam, eyes watering and heart racing, takes the scissors. He cuts the cord as his little boy screams out loudly, the world very new and scary to him.

"Okay. Here you go mom," the doctor holds the baby out to Lou and she takes him up, pulling him into her chest skin-to-skin.

Lou holds the boy close as the tears flow, looking at his wailing face with wonder and total awe. Sam's over her shoulder and she can hear him crying in disbelief and pure happiness.

"Oh, I love you so much," Lou says to the baby as she sobs, unable to believe that she's actually, finally here. In this moment she's finally getting what she's always wanted deep down. She's a mother.

And Sam's big hand comes around her to cup the little boy's cheek, just as awe-struck as Lou. Life is completely changed in that one second. Everything is different. Everything is exactly how it should be.

Well, almost….

"You ready to go again, Lizzy?" the doctor asks after a good five minute break. "That little girl in there is ready to come out."

"Screw her," Lizzy jokes, exhausted. Her legs are shaking, she's a sweating mess, and she'd prefer to call it a day. But then she looks over to her side to see Lou and Sam wrapped up in their son and knows she can do this. "Oh, what the hell, huh? Let's do it."

The nurse laughs and Dean kisses her cheek, once more taking a hold of her leg. "Almost there, baby."

"Sam? You want to help on this one?" the nurse asks of him and gestures to Lizzy's leg.

He nods and steps up, mirroring what his brother is doing. He makes watery eye contact with Lizzy, his expression alone thanking her with deep happiness, and Lizzy just rolls her eyes at him and calls him a sap.

"This one should go faster," the doctor tells her. "And you've got a contraction coming."

Dean counts it out for her, then Sam counts the next push. They alternate as Lou stands by, rocking her newly born son and waiting as patiently as she can.

In just ten minutes she's crowning once more.

"Five… six… seven…." That's as far as Dean gets.

Once more, the room is filled with the sounds of crying as the little girl comes into the world.

"Thank fucking god!" Lizzy exhales hard and leans back in bed, completely spent. Several deep breaths taken, and she finally lets herself fully relax after a day of labor and over two hours of pushing. She remains there, legs in stirrups. Exhaustion claims her.

Dean pulls up a chair next to her, grabbing her hand and squeezing. When she looks over at him he's grinning like an idiot.

"You look dumb like that," Lizzy smiles wide at him as her lids get heavy, making it clear she's joking.

"You know, I want to have a comeback for that but right now I don't think I can make fun of you at all," Dean tells her, still grinning as he watches Sam once more cut an umbilical cord.

"You can't… so I can call you anything and get away with it. Ass face." Lizzy's eyes close for a second and she exhales hard.

"That's the one you come up with?" Dean questions her lameness, eyes still glued to his brother. The nurse hastily wraps the second screaming child up in a receiving blanket and hands her over to her father. The baby girl looks incredibly small in Sam's long arms but the smile, the tears in his little brother's eyes are what Dean sees. His brother, after a three year battle that nearly drained their finances completely along with their emotional strength, is finally, truly happy.

"I'm fucking tired. Screw you," Lizzy lazily responds, eyes cracked to look at him. She can see the syrupy sweet love in his expression and she reaches over to push his shoulder. "Sap."

Dean laughs a little and blinks away his own happiness. He stares at her for a second, her face worn and her hair a total mess. "Thank you." He had to say it. As he watched Sam pull the little girl into his bare chest, never once having looked this blissful and _right_ in his entire life, Dean knows he'll never love this woman more than right now. He couldn't. She just gave the world to his little brother. There's nothing bigger than that.

"I didn't do shit for you," Lizzy smirks, laughing a little with what little energy she has left as the doctor mends her back up.

"I love you," Dean remains serious, needing her to know how he feels in this moment. "More that I can ever tell you."

"Yeah, yeah," Lizzy exhales hard again and closes her eyes once more. "Let's see how much you love me when I can't help around the house or with Mila for at least a month. I'm fucking wrecked, I can feel it."

"We'll get through," Dean tells her breezily, brushing her hair out of her face.

"And when I can't have sex forever? You gotta tell me, how much damage did our niece and nephew do to me?" Lizzy wonders without lifting her lids, scared to know but needing to know.

"Oh, I don't know," Dean answers her honestly, still admiring her, his hand to her cheek.

"What? Why not?"

"I'm not looking at that," he tells her. "I did that last time and totally regretted it. I gotta go down there again at some point."

"Dick," she name calls and he just laughs at her a little. "When this epidural wears off I'm gonna be so hurting, aren't I?"

"Probably… but again, we'll get through it," he repeats, getting up and leaning over the bed to kiss her cheek. He then points to the other side of the room. "Just look."

When Lizzy turns her head she sees it. Lou's all out bawling her eyes out with love and excitement. She's fussing over her son, his tiny hand already wrapped around one of her fingers. She looks up at Sam and tells him she loves him so much. Sam then sniffles once and leans down to her height, kissing her lips once before ducking lower to kiss his son's face as she holds him.

"You did that," Dean quietly reminds her, kissing her hair. "And I can never… just, thank you."

Lizzy nods and smiles before she drops her head back, patiently waiting for the time when she's done getting stitched and can put her legs back down. She's content, even to be injured and drained. "Worth it."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

It's quiet in the hospital room. Lizzy's asleep, resting after a long labor. Dean left to go pick up their daughter, Mila, from his step-brother Adam's house. Soon enough they'll be back so that she can see her mom and meet her cousins.

But for now Lou and Sam take advantage of the quiet. She's holding their daughter, Alice, while Sam sits with Evan. Both babies are asleep in their parent's arms, very obviously comfortable right where they are.

Sam looks up from his sleeping son's face to see Lou already staring over at him. For the millionth time that day her eyes are filled to the brim with tears.

He just smiles at her. "I know."

"I love them so much," she whispers in a cry, her heart exploding while her tears fall over the edge and down her cheeks.

"Me too," Sam grins wide, meaning it more than he's meant anything before now.

"I didn't know I could love something so much," Lou says, looking at Evan. "They're so perfect. I can't believe we're finally here."

Sam silently agrees, the surreal moment hitting him hard, and then he glances over at Lizzy passed out before looking back to his wife. "We owe her so much."

"We owe her the world!" Lou agrees instantly. "The second we have the money, we're sending them to Disney or something."

Sam laughs at her. "After everything we've spent getting here on top of needing _two_ college funds and two of, well, _everything_ … we're never gonna be able to afford that."

"Ugh, we're gonna be broke forever," Lou shakes her head, still smiling.

"We'll figure it," Sam says simply. "We have up to this point already, haven't we?"

"Yeah. And, you know… totally worth it," Lou says with a brilliant grin.

"And no, we can't ever really pay her back for this… but we can start by waiting on her hand and foot for at least the next few days," Sam reminds her of their plan to have Lizzy and family move in while she heals for a few days so that she can breastfeed their twins and get them started in the most healthy way possible. "That should at least help a little, right?"

"A drop in the bucket," Lou denies him. "You're right. We can never pay her back for this…."

"You don't have to, dummies," Lizzy says without opening her eyes, tired as hell but awake enough to hear them. "I wanted to do this."

Sam and Lou both go silent with her words. They know how untrue that is.

"I might be regretting wanting to do this for you now that my vagina's been torn to shreds again… but hey, still worth it." She opens her eyes and turns her head while still lying back. She smiles at them both when she sees them, each with a child that's blissfully resting. "You guys look good like that."

Lou wipes her eyes with one hand and looks at her sister, her saving grace. "We do owe you everything, no matter what you say."

"Okay, fine. You owe me everything," Lizzy smirks, joking. "Just not Disney. Please don't send me to Disney. That place is a nightmare."

"What if Mila wants to go?" Sam asks.

"Then Dean and I will remind her that Disney is lame and that Mexico is way more fun."

Sam laughs. "Good luck with that once all the kids at school have gone to Disney and Mila hasn't."

"I can't hear you over all my stitches," Lizzy denies, knowing how right Sam is.

"You feeling better after sleeping?" Lou wonders. "Do you need anything?"

"Nah," Lizzy tells them, sitting up a bit in bed. "I've been here before. I know the drill. I'll survive."

"No, seriously… are you thirsty? Or hungry?" Lou keeps going, wanting nothing more than to help out where she can. This has been a helpless, difficult nine months for her to stand by and watch her sister puke several times and put so much stress on her body for her. There's a lot of guilt there.

"I can go grab some food from the cafeteria," Sam jumps in, just as eagerly.

"Or do you need to go to the bathroom?" Lou continues to try. "I can help you…"

"Dudes! Relax! Please," Lizzy huffs a laugh. "I'm fucking fine. If I need anything I'll ask."

"You swear?" Lou checks.

"I swear…."

Right then Alice wakes up and starts to fuss… which quickly turns into crying.

"Alright, hand her over," Lizzy immediately says, reaching her arms out to Lou. Her sister stands up and reluctantly hands her daughter over. The jealousy hits hard as Lizzy opens her hospital gown to feed her. And Lizzy can see it all over her. "Hey, this is just until I can get outta here and get my milk going. Then I'm pump only. I'm totally not getting up in the middle of the night to feed _two_ kids. Already did it with one and it sucked. That's all on you guys and the thousands of bottles you'll have to constantly clean."

"Whatever it takes," Lou smiles, watching her little girl latch on surprisingly easily. She runs her hands through her thin, dark hair and smiles while leaning into Lizzy's side. "She's pretty good looking, huh?"

"She's beautiful, I'll admit that," Lizzy nods, knowing it's true. They're healthy. They're beautiful. They're perfect. She looks up at her older sister. "You and Sam make cute kids."

"Yeah… we do," Lou grins with pride.

"Not as cute as Mila… but you know, close," Lizzy jests, smirking. Lou just pushes her in the arm for the untrue insult.

Evan then decides he's also hungry. He starts to cry.

"I don't know how you two are gonna deal with twins," Lizzy laughs at them, knowing how screwed they are. "One was more than enough for me."

"Uh… so, I think Evan's hungry…" Sam hesitantly says as he gets up and walks to Lizzy's bed.

"You don't say," Lizzy smiles as she shifts her gown around. "Alright, hand him over."

"But you're feeding Alice," Sam reminds her.

"I am!?" Lizzy jokes before laughing. "Two babies, two boobs. The math checks out."

Sam very carefully, still new to fragile little infants, places his son into Lizzy's free arm. After some struggling and adjusting, soon enough Lizzy has a child per breast.

Looking down at herself she start to laugh too hard. "Ow!" she giggles through pain. "Stitches."

"What's so funny?" Lou wonders, smiling.

"I was terrified of babies three years ago when I had one," she explains. "And now I'm sitting her with a baby on each boob. Who the hell would have thought, huh?"

Lou and Sam both get a good laugh out of that. Lou agrees. "Not me!"

"Yeah, me neither!" Lizzy keeps joking. "You two are lucky I like you both so much!"

Sam just takes a second to look at Lizzy with brand new eyes. "Yeah. We are."


	9. If Only Life Was Boring (Part 8)

**Author's Note: My daughter is exhausting. Daytime sleeping is something she chooses not to do and if she miraculously does it's while she's in my arms. We are working on it but this issue is taking all of my time up. I apologize for the late update and for any issues/grammar problems in this chapter. At least it's long. And this is the last of this prompt! Holy shit! On to a very interesting one next that I think you'll all love!**

* * *

 **FIFTEEN YEARS LATER**

"Oh, I am so not ready for this," Dean whispers to himself as he watches his daughter walk down the stairs of their small house, her gown flowing behind her.

Lizzy just smiles at him and rubs his arm. She whispers to him, "Suck it up, daddy-o. She looks beautiful and you need to tell her that."

"I don't like it," Dean grits his teeth, watching Mila's boyfriend grin at her and check her out in her form fitting dress with low back and side cut outs. When the hell did seventeen year olds start looking like that? And better yet, when did his little girl start looking like a woman. And an, unfortunately for him, beautiful woman at that. "And I don't like him."

Lizzy laughs at him. "They've been together almost year. And he's been nothing but nice. How can you still not like him?"

"Don't care. Something's off about him," he declares with certainty, watching closely as Mila pins a boutonniere on West's lapel.

"Or you just want to think so."

"He's an eighteen year old kid. I was one of those once. I know how they think so I don't like him."

"Get over it, Dean…."

"Alright, let's rock," Mila grins wide, excited about the prom. Their limo is out front, her cute and popular boyfriend is there in his tux with a bright blue tie that matches her beaded, ornate dress, and she's worked all day to prepare for this. She grabs West's hand and heads for the door.

"Ho, hold up!" Dean stops them immediately, not letting Mila leave so easily. He reaches out and grabs her upper arm before she can escape. "Not so fast, young lady."

"What?" Mila huffs with annoyance.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, okay?" Dean tells her sharply. "You're not leaving until your mother gets about a _thousand_ pictures and you know it."

"Just… can't we just take a couple and let us go?" Mile complains, knowing how bad it's about to get. Lizzy has always had a camera attached to her hand throughout her life. "I don't want to be late."

"You won't be late," Lizzy smiles at her. "Come on. Let's go."

Lizzy ushers them into the living room in front of the fireplace and tells them to pose. Without a word shared, both Mila and West do the usual prom pose and make dorky faces, ruining Lizzy's hope for a real picture.

"Okay, very funny," Lizzy complains. "You don't give me a picture I can brag about then neither of you are leaving."

"Fine!" Mila rolls her eyes again and poses with her boyfriend. They take a few pictures, Dean grimacing when West kisses her cheek for one.

"Are we good now?" Mila hopes, smiling wide once many shots have been taken.

"One more with your father," Lizzy tells her, pushing Dean in the back towards their daughter. "Then you're free."

Dean walks up to his girl, West backs off. Smiling wide once he has an arm around his daughter, they take the picture. Dean's learned long ago to not bother fighting with Lizzy when she wants a picture of him. Mila has yet to learn.

"Okay, one without crossing your eyes now, Mila," Lizzy complains, taking one more without the silliness. Their daughter has quite the personality these days.

"You didn't tell me!" Dean complains down to his daughter under his arm. Usually they conspire to ruin pictures on Lizzy. She didn't warn him this time.

"Sorry, dad," Mila laughs, leaning into her father and smiling for real this time.

He'd never say it aloud, but he misses this closeness with his daughter. When she was little they'd cuddle on the couch all the time, watching Disney movies and hanging out. It was his favorite weekend thing to do. No grab beers with Sam or work on his car. Princess movie with Mila always won out.

And now she's going to the prom. With her boyfriend. And looking at colleges. And planning to leave home in another year….

Dean hates it all.

The flash on Lizzy's camera goes off and she checks it over. She grins. "And now, kids, you can go."

"Nice!" Mila relaxes and leaves Dean's side. His face falls the second she's walking away.

Mila grabs her clutch from the stairs where she left it and when Lizzy sees her opportunity she dashes for her girl before she leaves. She hooks her arm in her daughters and smiles at her. She speaks very quietly for good reason. "I know you two aren't going to Jackie's house after the prom."

Mila's face goes white with fear. "What? W-We're not…"

"Save it. I was seventeen with a boyfriend before… a long time before, but still," she practically whispers. "Whatever you two plan to do after prom please… just be safe. And call me if anything goes wrong, okay? I won't judge, you won't be in trouble until we talk tomorrow. Deal?"

"Whatever, mom," Mila shrugs, unsure of what to think about all this.

"You've never given us a reason not to trust you. Be safe is all I ask, huh?" Lizzy asks of her daughter, eyes wide in warning as she slips her daughter a condom into her fist, making sure Dean doesn't see her do it. He'd flip his shit.

"Mom!" Mila eyes her with shock, grabbing the protection quick as her eyes fly to her dad. He's busy talking to West. Thank god.

"Baby, I love you," Lizzy kisses her daughter's cheek. "Promise you'll be safe."

"I promise," Mila says with red cheeks, stashing the condom in her clutch as quickly as she can.

As Dean glances at his wife and daughter talking, he worries. His girl is his world. They are very close. The term daddy's little girl was made for his daughter. Nothing will ever hurt her or upset her if he can help it.

Dean stares at West a moment before pulling an arm around his shoulders, the gesture not as warm as it was with Mila moments before. "West. Let's talk real quick."

The teen swallows hard with fear. "What about, Mister Winchester?" he shakily asks, the man always scary to him.

"I love my daughter. Very much. And she's a strong, very smart, very special young woman."

"I know that, sir," West nods, sweating.

"And I think you need to know that if you ever thought that you might, I don't know… try to take advantage of her or maybe push your limits with her… make her unhappy in any way…."

"I know. You'll chop my balls off," West nods, having had Dean tell him this a few times in the past.

"No… she will," Dean assures him, nodding at Mila. His daughter really is a tough young woman. And he's made sure to raise her right and teach her how to defend herself. "And then after that? I'll kill you."

West smile awkwardly at what he hopes is a joke.

"I'm dead serious, kid. Your parents will never find the body." Dean then grins at him with confidence. "Try me."

West's eyes bug out as Mila and Lizzy join them. Dean just smiles as if he hadn't just threatened an eighteen year old's life in his own home. He'd never let on to Mila what he just said.

"Well, have fun you two," Lizzy grins at them both, letting them leave now that picture time is over.

"Yeah, let's go," West nervously says, taking Mila's hand and heading for the door.

"Make good, pure decisions!" Dean shouts after them and the front door closes.

Standing together at the big front picture window, Lizzy and Dean both watch them get into the limo and head off.

"You put the fear of god into him, didn't you?" Lizzy calls him out right away.

"You bet your ass I did," Dean responds with worry.

"Baby, she'll be fine," Lizzy reminds him, kissing his cheek. "Now, I'm pouring some good whiskey and you're having some with me. We have the house to ourselves and I for one plan to get my silver fox naked by nightfall."

Dean lightens up right then, no longer focusing solely on his daughter. "Oh yeah?" he asks, arms coming to his wife's hips as he looks down at her.

"Oh, hell yeah," she winks and kisses him quickly.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

"Baby, what's wrong?" Lizzy asks kindly as she pauses. She keeps her grip around his manhood as he hovers over her naked form but he remains soft in her hand even after a full half hour of warming up together.

"I don't know," Dean sighs and rolls off of her, lying next to her in their bed. He looks up at their bedroom ceiling and runs his hands through his hair with frustration. "Shit."

Turning onto her side, Lizzy scoots up into him and places a comforting hand on his chest. "This is the third time this month."

"Thank you for reminding me," Dean fires out angrily at her concerned statement. He then looks to his side and sees her hurt face. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she lets him know, understanding the frustration.

"God, I'm not _that_ old, am I?" Dean asks her, thinking that forty-nine isn't all that old.

"Maybe," Lizzy gently says, needing to have an honest conversation about the issue. "And maybe it's time to talk to your doctor about it."

"Ugh," Dean groans and rubs his eyes.

"Hey, it sucks, I know," Lizzy tells him and climbs on top of her husband. She grabs his face in both hands and makes him look at her. "But if you talk to a doctor this could be easily figured out."

"I'm not taking Viagra, Liz," Dean tells her with a grumpy attitude.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not an old gray fart!"

"Well, you are kinda gray these days," she smirks and ruffles his short hair that's half silver.

He gives her a warning look.

"It wouldn't be that bad," Lizzy tells him. "And so what if you have to take a blue pill every now and then? If it means we get to have sex, isn't that totally worth it?"

He doesn't respond as he considers her point.

"And it's not like you have to tell anyone outside of me about it," Lizzy reminds him. "And I don't care. I just want to fuck my husband."

Sighing heavily, hands on his wife's nude hips as she sits on him, still stunning to him after being together for twenty years, he gives in. "I'll call tomorrow."

She just grins wide and leans down to kiss him.

"Now get off me. I gotta piss," Dean picks her up off of him and playfully tosses her aside. He then gets up and walks down the hall without putting clothes on since they're kid-less for the night.

As he leaves for a moment, Lizzy sits up and thinks about it for a second, becoming more concerned as she does. She grabs her nightie from the floor and pulls it overhead as she sits and waits for him.

Dean walks back into the room and grabs his boxers.

"Have you noticed that you've been… peeing a lot lately?" Lizzy cautiously asks.

Pulling up his underwear, he looks at her. "What are you, tracking all my functions these days?"

"No," Lizzy rolls her eyes and cuddles back into him as he gets back into bed. "It just seems like you're peeing a lot."

"I'm fine," Dean brushes it off despite knowing she might be on to something. He has had to run to the bathroom a lot lately.

"Maybe you could mention it to your doctor since you're going…"

"I'm fine, Lizzy," Dean denies. "Relax…."

* * *

"…carcinoma of the prostate."

They both simultaneously feel the dagger being shoved through their hearts at the news being told to them from the other side of the wooden desk in the office. Lizzy's utterly terrified face sharply turns to Dean, he can feel her eyes on him, but he doesn't look back. She reaches out and grabs his hand where is lays on his knee but he still doesn't move.

Cancer. He has cancer.

"The biopsy we took confirms it and we would like to move on this a quickly as possible," the doctor tells him in a very business-like manner. "I have a suggested plan already devised. I'd like to go over it with you now if you think you are ready and able to hear it."

"Ah," Dean shakes his head a little as he tries to focus, his mind a blur since the word carcinoma left the doctor's mouth. He hears a sniffle and knows it came from his wife. He can't bear to look at her right now so he remains focused on the doctor. "So… you're saying I have cancer."

"Yes, Mister Winchester. That's what I am saying," he answers to the point, making it clear when he knows his patient and his wife must be reeling. "There's a tumor of worrisome size in your prostate. It's the cause of the frequent urination and the sometimes erectile dysfunction. Those are the most common symptoms."

Heart in his throat, Dean takes a moment to process it.

"How bad is it?" Lizzy cautiously asks, knowing she isn't ready to find out.

"Well, we did a few tests," the doctor lays out a few pages for them to look over. Lizzy does. Dean doesn't both. "We've been able to determine that you are in at least stage T2."

"Meaning?" Lizzy keeps going. She can already tell Dean's going quiet for this so it's up to her to listen, ask questions, and attempt to retain everything said.

"Meaning we know that the tumor had extended to both sides of the prostate at this point," the doctor explains. "I suspect it may have extended out from there a bit as many times it does once it's gotten to this point but we wouldn't know for sure unless we go in surgically to remove the prostate and further investigate."

"Surgery?" Dean speaks up with fear. "I need surgery?"

"Well, that depends on the course of action you choose, Mister Winchester," the doctor explains. "There are several ways to go about this. This first one is to watch it closely. I do not recommend this for you. The cancer has already grown throughout the prostate and most likely it will continue to grow and spread without action."

"Then we don't want to do that," Lizzy decides for them both immediately.

"What I would recommend is a prostatectomy," he tells them both. "It's a laparoscopic, minimally invasive surgery to remove the entire organ. We would also be able to investigate if the cancer has spread of surrounding tissues which would be immensely helpful in determining the next step from there."

"Which could be?" Lizzy pries on.

"Well, it all depends on the surgery. If it goes well, we get clean margins, we remove the entire tumor, and it hadn't spread then we do nothing. You're clear and we check once a year for recurrence."

"What if it did spread?" she questions.

"Then we determine what we can remove and get as much of it as we can. If it seems we need to, we may add external bean radiation therapy to ensure the cancerous cells are destroyed. If it did in fact spread widely and metastasize then I would likely recommend a round of chemotherapy. But those options all depend on how the surgery goes."

"Okay," Lizzy nods, swallowing hard around a dry throat. It's all so much to take. Looking at Dean she can tell he's only hearing parts and not processing anything. He's just staring at the doctor with a blank look. She needs to focus. "Um, I hope it's fine but we probably need to get a second opinion."

"By all means," the doctor nods. "I hope that you do."

"I have family in Boston," she mentions. "Maybe we can stay with them and talk to some doctors there."

"There isn't better city for medical care in the world," the doctor nods.

"Do you have… a prognosis? Any idea of what… what we have to expect?" Lizzy very cautiously asks what she really doesn't want to know.

"Not at this time. Without further investigation I don't feel comfortable giving one."

Lizzy nods, looking at Dean again. He's still not looking at her.

"I'm going to leave all this information with you." The doctor slides a thick manila folder across the desk to Lizzy. "I'm going to give you both a moment to process all of this. Please take your time. Leave only when you're ready. If you have questions please do come ask me."

"Thank you," Lizzy nods, eyes filling up.

"Please make sure you move on this. Don't wait too long for a second opinion." He then walks out of the room and shuts the office door behind him.

The deafening silence hits the second the door is shut. It's painfully quiet, the sound of nothing battering Dean's brain as he sits there, not processing anything at all. He's feeling numb, numb to the thought that he's sick and his body betrayed him. Numb to the battle he has before him.

Most of all, he's completely numb to the very thought that he could lose this war and leave his girls.

One single quiet sob breaks the silence. Looking to his side, Dean sees Lizzy sitting there with her back completely hunched over. Her face is in her hands as she crumbles with the news.

The numbness fades. It's all fear now, fear for his family and what this will do to them. And anger for what they all have to deal with and the unfairness of it all. His wife doesn't deserve this. She's been wonderful wince the day they got back together at Lou and Sam's wedding. And Mila… she doesn't deserve this pain and emotional anguish.

This isn't right. This isn't fair. He's pissed.

Determination sets in awfully quick once he lets the situation in. He's not losing this battle. Hell no. He hasn't had a chance to see Hawaii like they had always planned to the second Mila's college education was paid for. He hasn't yet fixed that back step that Lizzy's always saying is going to kill her one day like he promised to. He hasn't done that west coast college tour with Mila yet. He has his daughter's graduation to attend, high school and college. He has her wedding, walking her down the aisle. He has grandkids to meet and his fiftieth anniversary to celebrate. He's not even fifty yet. He has so much more to do and see and experience still and he's not willing to let go of that.

Fuck this. He's not letting this take him down. No fucking way.

The sobbing continues and it breaks his heart. Dean gets up off his chair and moves in front of her. He kneels at her feet and pulls her hands away from her face gently. Looking at her tearful, black-smudged eyes he'd hurting so badly but he knows he'll never let her down, not with this.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright," Dean tells her, sure of it. She shakes her head no. "Yes it is. I promise…."

"You can't promise me that," Lizzy stops him right away.

"Yes I can."

"No… you _really_ can't," Lizzy tells him, sniffling.

"Yeah, I can. You know why?" Dean keeps trying. She just looks at him, broken. "I have way too much time to annoy the shit outta you still left ahead of me."

Lizzy doesn't even crack a smile.

"I would never leave you Mila early, not without the fight of a lifetime," Dean goes serious, seeing as humor isn't going to work. "You two are my everything. I'll do everything I can to stop this from taking me away from you."

Lizzy's face wrinkles more. In a heightened, sad voice, she tells him, "I'm terrified."

And for the first time Dean can feel himself crumbling. Seeing her like this is worse than the news of his own body's betrayal.

With a hand to his cheek, Lizzy looks at the man she's been completely head over heels with for so long now. He's just as handsome as ever, with his wrinkles and gray hair. He still looks like her Dean, not like a sick man whose life is threatened. This makes no sense. And this can't be the end to their story, not now.

"What would I do without you?" Lizzy asks him, collapsing into her fears and sorrow. She breaks and begins truly sobbing, pressing her hands to her face once more.

Dean grabs her and pulls her into himself as he kneels on the floor of the medical office. Arms tightly around her, he feels the world bearing down on him.

"This isn't taking me down, Liz," he once more promises her. "It's not. I can make it through this. I know it."

* * *

The ride home was terribly quiet. Dean drove as Lizzy sat silently in the passenger side, watching the passing scenery out the Impala window and wiping her eyes every now and then. Everything feels wrong and heavy and too scary… but what does a person even try to say in that situation anyways? Nothing, clearly.

Once home, Lizzy follows Dean inside. He walks for the kitchen immediately and pulls open the refrigerator. He grabs a beer, pops the top, and downs a solid amount without thinking. It was autopilot.

"Ah," he lets out in a satisfied way as he swallows down the cheap beer without tasting it. He then looks across the island to see Lizzy taking a seat on a stool, looking at him with the saddest eyes he's ever seen. "I don't want to talk about it until tomorrow."

"We don't have to talk about treatment or the future," Lizzy assures him. "I'm okay taking the day."

"Good…."

"But how are we gonna tell Mila?" Lizzy asks, her voice cracking when she speaks her daughter's name.

"We aren't," Dean easily answers.

Lizzy stares at him for a beat, waiting for him to say he was kidding or he'd love to avoid telling her but they absolutely will. He doesn't. "We're gonna tell her. We have to."

"Why?" Dean wants to know, ready to avoid it at all costs.

"She's our daughter. Our _only_ daughter. She has every right to know what's going on in her family, especially when it's this big."

"We can lie, say it's something less scary," he shrugs it off.

"Dean…"

"I don't want her to know, Liz," Dean strongly states his opinion on the matter.

"That's not fair to her."

"No, this whole thing is what's not fair to her," he corrects. "She's got so much ahead of her. She'll be a senior in a few months. We have to go look at colleges… she has to _go_ to college. I don't want her decisions to be affected by me. I want her to go where ever she wants without feeling guilty for leaving. I don't want this to fuck up her life."

"It's going to change all of our lives..."

"Not hers," Dean strongly stops her. He's determined. "I won't let this affect her."

Lizzy closes her eyes, willing the tears to stop prickling her eyes and threaten to flow once more. "I won't lie to our daughter, Dean."

"You wouldn't do that for me?" Dean asks her.

"No."

"Not even if it's the wishes of a dying man?"

She stares daggers into him. "That's not funny!" she shouts as the tears break through again, pouring down her face after hearing him say such a thing.

"Damn it," Dean mutters, marching around the island to her. "I'm sorry. Poor taste, okay?" he says to her, holding her face in his hands.

She lunges forward, still sitting in her stool. Her arms grip around his middle hard and tight. "You're not fucking funny."

"I know," Dean nods, hugging her in return. They stay that way for some time, the warmth and love they have trying it's best to alieve the pain and fear. "Liz, you gotta believe I'm gonna fight this."

"I know you will," Lizzy tells him. "I'm just… scared."

"Me too," he admits, really meaning it. All he's about to go through sounds awful but he'd do it and more for his two girls. Fuck that, he'd dive into hell for them if it meant they'd be healthy and happy.

"We have to tell Mila," Lizzy quietly says with her cheek to his t-shirt, driving the point home.

"Tell Mila what?"

Dean and Lizzy's sights fly to the doorway as Mila walks into the kitchen. With her hand on the refrigerator door handle, about to pull it open, she stops when she sees her mother crying.

"Whoa. Mom? You alright?" Mila asks, walking to them with concern.

"Hey, honey," Lizzy takes her arms back and wipes her face hastily. "I thought you were at Megan's house for the day?"

"She had to go run errands with her mom. What's going on?" Mila asks, fear already gripping her. Her mother doesn't cry all that often. Not a good sign. "Why are you crying?"

Lizzy looks up at her husband with a pleading face. She wants to tell her so badly. Mila is their only girl. She should know what is happening around her, good news or not.

"Shit," Dean complains as he backs away from Lizzy and pulls out a second stool. He gestures for Mila to sit and she does.

"Dad?" she wonders, wide eyes on her father. He's overprotective and a total embarrassment on purpose but in the long run she knows she's a total daddy's girl. From watching Disney movies just the two of them every Sunday morning while cuddled on the couch to the day she had to tell him she got her first period while her mom was away with Aunt Lou for the weekend, they've been thicker than thieves. She's his world and she knows it.

"Mi, um…" he tries to start but the words die. He can't tell her. This is his nightmare, only topped by if something bad actually was happening to Mila.

"We went to see a specialist this morning," Lizzy takes over for him, clearing her throat to get her voice to work first. "An urologist."

"Why?"

"I've been feeling… weird lately," Dean tells her, trying to be truthful as much as it's killing him on the inside.

"Weird how?" Mila asks slowly, real fear now gripping her heart. She knows this isn't good already.

"Doesn't matter," Dean spares her the personal details. "The point is…"

"You dad has cancer," Lizzy says it quickly, getting it done for him. She knows he wouldn't be able to.

" _What_!?" Mila fires out, standing back onto her feet. Her eyes snap up onto Dean. "Dad!?"

"Um… yeah," he can't formulate much with how upset she already is. "I have prostate… cancer."

As Mila's green eyes fill up they switch back and forth between her parents in panic.

"We still have to get a second opinion… so we don't have a ton of information for you…."

That's as far as Dean makes it before Mila is slamming into him, hugging him not unlike is wife did just a moment before. She crushes him in a hug around his middle and he hugs her back right away. For the first time since he was given the terrible news, Dean's eyes betray him. Silent tears trail down his cheeks as Mila starts to openly cry.

"What does this mean?" she asks him, face buried in his shirt.

"It means… that cancer fucked with the wrong dude this time," Dean tells her, sniffling once. "Because it ain't winning."

"Dad," is all Mila says, sobbing. "How bad?"

"It isn't great but we don't know yet. The doctors need more time," Dean explains vaguely. "But I'm telling you, kid. I got this. Don't worry so much."

When the sopping wet eyes of his daughter look up at him with sadness and fright, his heart shatters.

"You think I'd ever leave you early?" he asks her, hands coming to her face. He wipes her eyes with his thumbs as he promises, "I'm not going anywhere, Mi. You know what a pain in the ass I am."

She nods, unable to speak.

"I'll be fine," Dean tells her as she once more presses her face to his shirt. "I will be. I promise…"

* * *

 **OVER A YEAR LATER**

"Lizzy!?" Lou calls out as she walks into her sister's home without knocking. She has a feeling Lizzy wouldn't bother answering if all she did was knock anyways.

The house is a wreck. Clothes and random items everywhere, a layer of dust on everything. It looks disheveled and Lizzy never kept a messy home. It's been a really rough last month. Lou understands.

"Lizzy, I know you're here!" she calls out again and gets nothing in return. Mila arrived at their house an hour ago, looking to go for a ride in her dad's Impala with Alice, her best friend. Lou didn't want Lizzy to be alone, not now.

Walking up the stairs, Lou already knows where her sister is.

Making it to the bedroom she finds Lizzy sitting on the floor surrounded by all different items of men's clothing. Boots, flannel, denim, oil stained t-shirts, a pair of ratty sneakers, and an AC/DC Tour shirt in her hands.

"Lizzy," Lou kindly says her name as she walks forward. Kneeling onto the floor just outside the clothing circle surrounding Lizzy, she says, "What are you doing?"

Lizzy's hollow eyes look you at her sister, barely showing any form of happiness to see her. "I…" she shakes her head. "He's always such a teenager. His clothes…." She stops here and presses a hand over her mouth. "When he was in the hospital… then hospice… I just… I couldn't pick them up and put them away." She starts to full blown cry. "I wanted to nag him about doing it when he came home."

Lou doesn't know what she could possibly say to that so she just sits there and listens.

"God, he's such a slob," Lizzy cries, clutching the t-shirt tighter before bringing it to her face. Nose buried, she inhales the scent of him that she knows now has an expiration date. "Ugh, he always smelled so good. Even when we met, he smelled the same."

Lou's hand lands on her elbow, making her move her focus onto her sister. "I don't think you and Mila should stay here right now. Maybe you guys can move in with us for a few days, just to get past the shock…."

"I'm not shocked," Lizzy tells her, eyebrows wrinkled. "I'm… I don't know. I had time to realize this was going to happen. We knew for months that he wasn't gonna win. Hell, we spent the last half-year traveling everywhere because that's what he wanted to do with what time he had left… but now?" She lets out a sob and smells the shirt again. "I knew it would hurt. But I didn't know it'd hurt this fucking much."

"Lizzy…" Lou tries to speak to her but gets cut off.

"It hurts so fucking much, Lou," Lizzy hunches over and unleashes her sadness for the hundredth time this week. "Why did this have to happen? I don't know how to do this."

"Yes you do," Lou denies and leans in. She wraps her sister up, cradling her head as she cries so hard and soul deep. "Lizzy, you can get through this."

"It hurts too much…."

"But Mila needs you," she reminds her sister. "She's supposed to start school in two months. She needs to be in a good enough place to do that. You have to be strong for her."

"And then what?" Lizzy worries, tear-drenched eyes pleading for answer from her sister. "I live here all alone? Come home to a dark house after work, eat dinner alone, sleep in a cold bed… oh, god." She sobs hard with the thought. She'll never fall asleep next to the one man she loves more than life ever again. "I can't just be alone. We were supposed to enjoy our lives just us. This was supposed to be like when we were younger all over again when Mila went to college. We were supposed to walk around the house naked and fuck on the kitchen table midday if we wanted to…."

"And life sucks sometimes."

"Sucks!?" Lizzy outrages.

"Not a good enough word, I know," Lou concedes. "So… maybe you should live with us? Sell the house if it's too hard to be here."

"But it reminds me of him," Lizzy tells her. "He bought this house before we got together. He fixed it up himself. His fingerprints are everywhere." Pressing her hands to her face, she admits, "I don't know what to do."

Lou stay quiet for some time, letting Lizzy cry it out. This whole week has been awful. From the over-attended funeral services to having to bury their family member at the young age of fifty-one, it's been miserable. And Lizzy is very much lost now.

"He said he wouldn't let this take him," Lizzy sobs out. "Why did this take him?"

Lou wipes her eyes before the tears fall. She can't let Lizzy see her like this. She needs to be strong for her right now. "I don't really know. All I can say is… it's completely unfair. And Sam and I are worried about you."

" _I'm_ worried about me." She admits it quickly as she can. It's the truth and Lizzy isn't used to being this weak.

"So move to our place," Lou retries. "We want you with us right now. Mila too. This house is… too much right now. Just pack a bag and give it a week. And I'll come by with you now and then and we can deal with whatever needs to be done… one thing at a time. No rush."

Lizzy nods, her hands clutching the AC/DC t-shirt even harder.

"Good. I'll help you pack a bag…."

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Giving Lou time with her sister, Sam stays on the first floor. He didn't plan to even come into the house at all when they arrived. The moment he got a glimpse of the fixer-upper when they pulled up, his stomach was in knots. This house was like Dean's second child. He spent so many hours after work and on weekends rebuilding and adding and mending… even before he met Lizzy. For that reason it's hard to be there.

But he couldn't stay out. Dean's been gone for a week now and he misses his brother so badly it burns his chest. The wound is deep. They were still best friends when Dean lost his battle. He even came with Lizzy and Mila on half their trips, traveling to Greece, Iceland, and joining them for half their stay in Hawaii… Dean's final destination before he became too sick to leave home. He needed to be surrounded by his brother again.

In the living room, Lizzy's sad tone heard but not understood from the second floor, Sam regrets it. He can't breathe. From Dean's favorite old leather chair to his collection of campy action movies organized on a bookcase to the happy pictures on the fireplace mantle, it's too much.

Picking up one particular frame, the pain gets worse. It's a perfect moment capture between his brother and him. It was Mila's sixth birthday. She's dressed up as a princess in a blue, sparkly gown and tiara and she's sitting on Dean's lap in the backyard. Sam is sitting next to Dean as Mila and he are looking at each other, making silly faces. Dean's just watching, cracking up.

That was their family. They smiled, had fun, loved each other and it was the top priority. And their family is like that because of Dean. He was always the family first above all else leader. They all followed his example.

And their leader is gone.

Sam's never known life without his big brother in it. He's just always been there, picking him up when he fell and letting Sam lean on him whenever he needed it. Now Sam on his own. Sure, he has Lou and Lizzy… but it'll never be the same.

As he places the picture back onto the mantle, he hears footsteps coming down the stairs. It's then that he realizes he's been crying. Sam wipes his eyes hastily, Lizzy not needing another crying person in her life right now.

Stopping at the bottom of the staircase, Lizzy looks over and catches Sam's eyes. She's a wreck. Red-rimmed eyes and a blotchy face. Sam knows that even his he dried his eyes he can't look much better.

Lizzy ditches Lou as she stands next to her with a packed bag in hand. She marches for Sam and slams into him in a tight, miserable hug.

Clutching hard to her, Sam lets go once again. They both stand in the middle of the room, surrounded by everything that had to do with Dean and what made him happy, and they hold on, trying to figure out what now….

* * *

 **EIGHT YEARS LATER**

"Hey!" Sam greets brightly, huge smile on his face as he walks into the hospital room in the maternity ward.

"Hey, Uncle Sam," Mila smiles wider than wide right back to see him as he sits up in her hospital bed. Her hair is up, her face is tired but bright, and she looks incredibly happy.

"Oh, wow," Sam grins when he makes his way over to the rocking chair, Lizzy sitting there and holding her brand new, hours old grandson. "Look at the hair on him!" The baby has a full head of light brown hair.

"Right?" Mila laughs, sounding very much like her late father. "Gets that from his dad."

"He must. You were bald as a cue ball for a year when you were born," Sam pokes fun as he looks down at the tiny sleeping bundle, standing next to Lizzy. "How you doing over here, grandma?"

"Ah, I love that name," Lizzy jokes, so damn excited to be a grandmother. "I'm doing awesome."

"Ha," Sam gets a look at the little boy's face. "Hey there, Hunter."

"He looks like his grandfather," Lizzy mentions quietly, her eyes glued to the tiny wonder in her arms. Hunter is a spitting image of Dean and his baby pictures already, it's clear as day to her. And for that reason alone she can't seem to give the boy over to anyone just yet, not even his own mom.

"Good. I hope he does," Sam smiles wistfully, loving the idea of that.

"He's so handsome," Lizzy gushes.

Hunter decides right then that he's hungry. He starts to cry.

"Oh, no," Lizzy pouts, know she has to give him up. "Oh, baby no. Grandma's not ready."

"And she never will be," Sam jokes and scoops up the crying baby from Lizzy. He grins at him lovingly. "Off to mom, kiddo." He knows that if he didn't take Hunter then Lizzy wouldn't give him up.

"Thanks, Uncle Sam," Mila grins and takes her son. She smiles wide the entire time, clearly overjoyed in the moment. She gets Hunter set up and soon enough he's eating.

"Where's the new dad?" Sam finally asks, noticing someone missing.

"He went home to pick up some things and check on Monkey," Mila explains where he husband is. "He took a onesie Hunter's been wearing for him to smell, get the pooch ready for having a little brother."

"I'm sure Lou is spoiling you dog as we speak," Sam laughs, knowing his wife. She loves Monkey, Mila and her husband's dog.

"Obviously," Mila laughs.

Sam then sees his opening. He looks at Lizzy. "Hey, why don't we give the new mom a second? We can grab a coffee and come back later."

"Do I have to?" Lizzy asks like a petulant child, never wanting to leave her grandson again.

"Yes," Sam says, laughing.

"Mom, it's cool. I don't mind a minute alone with Hunter."

"Okay," Lizzy nods, knowing she should give the new mom a moment to enjoy this. "Coffee it is." She points at Sam. "You're paying."

"Fair enough. I'll meet you at the elevator."

Lizzy gives him a suspicious look before grabbing her jacket and walking for Hunter as he eats. She runs her fingertips over his hair lovingly and tells him, "I'll be back, sweetie." She then leans into her daughter with a wide grin. "So proud of you," she quickly mentions and kisses her daughter's cheek. She then leaves the room and heads for the elevators.

Sam smiles at Mila as he opens the case on an iPad he brought with him. "While we're gone, I have something for you to watch."

As he sets up the iPad, propping it up on the rolling tray next to Mila's bed, she laughs. "I mean, I know I'm a TV junkie and all…."

"Not what this is," Sam tells her. "I just made a promise to someone that on the day you became a mom I'd show this to you. I'll send an email with it to you after, so you'll always have it. There's one for Hunter and any brothers or sisters Hunter might someday have too, once they're old enough."

"He's an only child," Mila rolls her eyes, knowing how destroyed she is after having him. "I'm so done!"

"You say that now," Sam winks. "Just press play and I'll see you in a bit."

Sam leans over and kisses Mila's cheek, Mila returning the gesture, and he leaves grinning.

Looking at the screen, Mila sees a still of her old living room growing up. It's a video. With curiosity, she presses play.

From off screen a man sits down in the old leather upholstered chair they got rid of years ago. Coming perfectly into frame is the face of a man she hasn't seen in years.

Lump in her throat already, Mila just whispers, "Dad?"

"Hey, kiddo," Dean says to her through the screen. "Long time, I know. I hope this isn't too weird or anything but once I knew how things were going to play out I decided to make some videos. Yeah, it's a bit morbid, but screw that. A dying man can do what he wants, I say."

Mile smiles as the first of the tears fall. Her dad. Every single day she's missed him dearly. Watching the strong, bold, big personality of his fade day after day as he fought valiantly for his life… nothing has ever been harder than that. Their bond was so fierce. And even if she knows he's still with her every single day, his absence has never gotten easier.

"So… this is awkward," Dean nods and makes Mila laugh. He's just as she remembers him. He took this right before the effects of treatment wore on him, changing his appearance. He looks like her daddy right now, before his strength was sapped. "Uh… well, if you're watching this that means you've just become a mother. Movel Tov, or whatever."

"We're not Jewish," Mila tells the screen with a grin.

"We're not Jewish so, uh, congrats," Dean corrects himself, making Mila laugh. "I'm really sorry I can't be there to see it. I'd give anything…." Dean looks away from the screen and stops there to collect himself. He then looks back when he can. "Your mother must be out of her mind right now. Ha, she's probably clingy and won't give the kid up to anyone. I don't know if we ever told you, but your mom wasn't always the way she is now. When we found out she was pregnant with you it was a shock. Sorry, Mila. You were unplanned."

"Lovely," Mila rolls her eyes before wiping them.

"But that doesn't mean we didn't want you. We did. We _really_ did and we love you so much… you are everything to us. And I'm sure you now understand that concept."

Mila nods, knowing she does. Hunter became her world the second she got her arms around him.

"Even if my grandkid was unexpected too… and I doubt he or she is since I know you're far more responsible than your mother and I ever were… I know that kid is loved and wanted and lucky to have you.

"Listen, parenting isn't easy. Okay? It's not. But it's worth every single sleepless night, scary moment, and unsure… everything you're gonna feel. And you're gonna second guess yourself. A lot. But don't. You're probably fine and you're just nervous. I second guessed everything from how I held you to how I wiped your butt. But I was fine. I really was. But if you really think you're sucking at being a mom, which you won't but you might think you are, call your mother. She'll get you through everything. And she'd be happy to help, you know that.

"Here's what you need to do, okay? One: get the Zeppelin pumping early. I mean, like yesterday. You have good taste in music because we forced it on you early and often. No grandkid of mine will be listening to Bieber and Taylor Swift, alright? Promise me that." He pauses. "No seriously. Promise. I'll hear if you don't."

"I promise," Mila swear to her dad through the video. "Done and done."

"Two: Bedtime is important. Get that little one to sleep at an early hour. It sounds counterintuitive but trust me, they'll sleep longer and be happier and easier to deal with. It took us over two months to figure that out. Don't be dumb like us. Plus, you need the nighttime to yourself and you're boyfriend… or husband. Or wife. I don't know who you ended up with and I don't know what college looked like for you. I don't judge… as long as they're treating my girl right. Are they? If not I'll kick their ass from beyond, trust that. I'll find a way."

Mila laughs again, the reminder of how funny her dad was getting to her.

"And three: stay connected to your, uh, we'll say husband because you liked guys before now. And I don't think you're irresponsible enough to have a baby before betting married. I know you, kid."

Mila grins.

"Don't let a kid ruin your relationship. Yes, you'll be snippy at points and you'll feel a bit disconnected and tired and like there's not enough time, but take time for yourselves. You have to. Or it could cause some real problems. You mom and I… we made sure to stay good in the beginning with you. I wasn't gonna let us crash and burn and I think it was for your benefit as well as ours. Plus… I love you mom. She's… well, let's just say I could never lose her. Never."

The brief look of sadness and devastation that sweeps across Dean's face lets Mila see it. He wasn't ready. He was never ready to leave his wife. Mila always knew her parents were deeply in love but to see it again, more tears fall down her face.

Quickly Dean puts the mask back on and appears just fine, strong even. "Good luck being a new mom, kiddo. I know you're gonna be great. I do. And I'll be watching out for you. Know that."

"I know," Mila tells him.

"Uh, so I don't really know what else to say. I probably shoulda wrote some stuff down or thought this through a little better. But you know me, I wing things."

"Yeah you do," she laughs a little.

"Just know how much I love you, Mila," Dean tries to sound tough but fails. His eyes start to shine a bit and he blinks a few times before continuing. "You are, without a doubt, the very best thing I ever did with my life. I'm sorry… I'm just sorry. I want to be there for this but it seems like I'm not being given much of a choice." Dean pauses to wipe his eye roughly and sniffle. "Make sure you spend every single second you can with your little one. It goes by so damn fast and you never know how much time you're gonna get. Just… don't waste any time, please."

"I promise," Mila swears, glancing down at her son before looking back at her dad.

Dean wipes at his eyes again. "Alright, time to wrap this up before I go all wimp on you. Mila, kiddo… I love you. Good luck. I'm with you, sweetheart. I am."

He nods a little, making Mila let out a sob with how much she loves and misses him.

Dean then stands up from the leather chair he'd been sitting in and disappears from the screen. The view then shakes a bit as the device recording him is handled. "How the hell… how do I turn this thing off…? Damnit, Sam. You were supposed to explain…."

The screen then goes black as Mila laughs hardily. Her dad did always hate technology to a degree and suck with it. The reminder was charming.

"What's so funny?"

Mila looks to the door of the room, her husband walking in with two takeout cups in hand.

"I, uh… my dad."

"You're dad?" he asks, completely confused by what she tells him. He knows her father passed away years before he met Mila.

"Yeah. Come here," she tells him, patting the small space left on the hospital bed. He sits and looks at the iPad screen in front of them. "I want you to meet my dad." Mila presses play on the video, more than excited to watch it again.

"Hey, kiddo," Dean's voice is heard once more. "Long time, I know…."

* * *

 **THIRTY YEARS LATER**

"Bingo!"

"Son of a bitch!" Lou shouts with anger as she slams her bingo marker down onto the long fold out table, making a purple streak on the surface.

"Ava again!?" Lizzy gets just as angry, sitting back in her wheelchair as she peer back at her room neighbor. "Every freakin' time…."

"She cheats!" Lou says a bit too loudly. "Every week she wins!"

"Louise, pipe down," smirks the young man walking towards Ava to check her Bingo card for a win.

"Don't call me that, Aiden," she warns, smiling despite her remark. As he passes by her table she pinches his bottom.

"Lou! Hands to yourself."

"Sorry, kid. Can't be walking past me with cute little buns like those and not be prepared."

"Flirt," the young, handsome man says to her and he keeps walking towards the supposed winner. He checks her card and declare, "Winner."

"Damn it!" Lizzy gets fired up and caps her Bingo marker. "Another week, another loss."

"Eh, it's only dessert of your choice on Friday. No big deal," Lou sarcastically says, knowing the prize is actually awesome. Ava has requested carrot cake every time she's won. Everyone else is over the carrot cake.

"Another week of cream cheese frosting. That stuff sits like a brick in my stomach!" Lizzy shouts back to Ava.

"And the next day? Ooh, lord. Not pretty!" Lou agrees as she packs up their things. She rips her and Lizzy's bingo cards in half and leaves them on the table out of spite.

"I'm done," Lizzy sits back with a huff as Lou stands up. "I'm never playing this god forsaken game again. Ever."

"We say that every week," Lou reminds as she grabs the handles of Lizzy's wheelchair, pulling her back from the table to make their way to their rooms.

"And every week we come back, I know," Lizzy replies, her voice weak. She's been feeling off this week. She knows she's not doing well but she keeps quiet.

"And we'll be back next week too."

"Yeah…." Lizzy leaves it at that as Lou pushes them very slowly down the hall of the nursing home.

"Isn't Mila coming tomorrow… with the grandkids?" Lou asks, remembering Lizzy mentioning that.

"Yeah," she nods. "Hey, uh… could you call them for me in the morning?"

Lou's face wrinkles as they move along. "Why?"

"Just… in case," Lizzy comments vaguely. "I've been sleeping too late. Don't want them arriving before I can put my face on."

"Put your face on?" her ninety-one year old sister asks with shock. "What are you, old?"

"You're older," Lizzy smirks. "Can you?"

"I got you covered."

"You gonna go see Sam tomorrow?" Lizzy wonders.

"Yeah, think so," Lou nods. "Alice is coming by. And the flowers I had her plant might have died in the first frost. Want to bring more."

"That's nice," Lizzy comments, knowing Lou likes to visit Sam's grave once a week if she can get one of her kids to bring her. Evan brought her last week. Alice this week. They've done this for the two years since Sam passed.

"You good?" Lou asks as they reach Lizzy's room.

"I'll call Aiden for help," Lizzy winks at Lou.

"Don't touch my boyfriend," Lou laughs a little and walks into the room next to Lizzy's. "G'night, bitch."

"Night," Lizzy says and before Lou's door can shut she calls out, "Lou?"

"Yeah?" she peeks her head out.

"I love you," Lizzy says to her, something they don't really say every day.

Lou's face wrinkles before she says, "You're going soft on me." Her door shuts.

After Aiden helps her to bed, Lizzy sets up her old, nearly useless iPad on her bedside table. She doesn't need it to do more than one specific thing so the age of it means nothing in the long run.

"Hey, Liz," she hears the familiar voice greet and like always her heart swells.

Looking at the screen she sighs. She goes to bed like this every single night, to the voice and face she misses so dearly it hurts her.

Dean smiles on the screen. "Looking damn good these days. You been working out."

"Funny man," Lizzy drowsily comments, laying back in her propped up bed.

"I know this might be weird and it might be kinda morbid, but I want you to always remember me as I was, not as I'm gonna be once I got through all the treatment and crap. Just in case this… doesn't work out, I want you to know a couple things."

Lizzy smiles and closes her eyes, knowing what he's going to say. She's heard it millions of times by now so she just lets her late husband's voice fill her soul as she drifts off.

"I got a secret stash of money. I know, I know. You're probably pissed that I didn't tell you. But cancer runs in my family and drunk drivers are a thing so in case something like this happened I wanted to cover some big costs and leave you in a good place. You should have enough for final expenses and a good chunk of the medical bills you'll be saddled with. I'm sorry about the financial burden. It's fucked up that this happens and this is how it goes.

"My car. I need you to keep it up. I know you don't know shit about cars but let my mechanic help you. I trust him implicitly. And the day Mila chooses a school I need you to hand her the keys. My dad gave her to me… I want to give her to Mila. I know right now she might not fully understand what that car is but she will. I know my girl. She gets how important it is and the second she takes it out on her own and people fawn all over it… it'll make sense to her. Just please, check on Baby now and then. Make sure she's cared for. Please?"

"Yes," Lizzy whispers in agreement.

"The house. Please don't move. I know you might not want to be there if things go south but please, I want you and Mila to stay. It's our home. I practically rebuilt that place and even if I started before I even met you… I was making a home for my family. Please, please… stay. I want my hard work to mean something. You can take all my shit and toss it. It's only stuff. Just stay there."

Lizzy smiles in her sleep. She never moved out until she had to go to the nursing home due to her declining health. She didn't want to burden Mila with caring for her anymore. Now her grandson Hunter moved in, living there with his wife and their twin boys. Her great grandsons. That's a beautiful thing.

"Uh… Liz. I, uh… I can't believe this is happening still. I can't…. I don't want to leave you. I don't want leave our little girl right before she moves on to college. It scares me more that I'm leaving you alone than death does. I just… I'm so sorry.

"You need to know that you are the absolute love of my life. You're…." Dean ducks his head for a second and wipes his eyes. When he looks back up he doesn't bother to hide that he's crying, not from his wife. Even with her eyes closed she can see it all as she has so many times before. "As long as I had you nothing else mattered. You changed everything when I met you and even if you didn't see it at first… I did. Hell, even if you still never saw it I'd still be waiting for you to this day. If you ever watch this video… just know that no matter where I am now, I'm still waiting for you. Hopefully I end up waiting for a long time…."

His voice starts to get further and further away as Lizzy slips under.

"I'll be waiting for you…."

Lizzy opens her eyes to find she's standing in the middle of her living room in the home she shared with Dean for years and years. Considering she's been at the nursing home without leaving for two years, it's been a while but it looks the same. Even the pictures on the mantle and the leather chair are right where they belong.

"Told you I'd wait for you."

Turning sharply around, Lizzy looks to the source of the voice. Standing in the doorway of the living room is Dean, her Dean. Not the frail man that he was when he passed away. No. He's the guy she met when she was younger, his eyes bright and playful and his gray hair gone.

"Dean?" Lizzy questions, looking at him with confusion. She's had dreams of him in the past, many of them, but they never felt this year.

"Made it to ninety. Damn. You always did like making me wait," Dean smirks at her, his face overjoyed under the coolness he's trying to keep.

"Made it to ninety?" Lizzy asks and hears her own voice. It's younger, bolder. It isn't as weak as it's become in her later years. Looking down at her hands she sees they aren't wrinkled and thin. And she's standing in the middle of the room. She hasn't stood up for months. She feels good, also like her younger self. With wide eyes she peers at Dean for answers.

"Baby, you're done," Dean tells her, taking a cautious step forward.

"Done?"

"Living down there," Dean says, nodding downward.

It clicks. "I died."

"Yeah, your time ran out," tells her, stepping closer again. He reaches out to her, taking both of her hands. "And thank god you kept being a good person after I left. You made it upstairs."

"Heaven?" Lizzy asks, smiling when she sees him up close. So damn handsome. So much like she always remembered.

"Yep, reserved for the good and… the hot. Damn, almost forgot how hot you were."

As Dean checks her out, Lizzy's mind flies a mile a second. Heaven. She died. She's in heaven. And she's with Dean again.

"Son of a bitch, you look good," Dean smiles as he once more meets her eyes.

She grins bashfully, feeling something she hasn't felt in decades. She lets go of his hands to cup his face, that same stubble she remembers under her touch, feeling like sandpaper and home. She looks over every inch of his face. "You look beautiful," Lizzy tell him, her voice chokes. "And holy fuck, I missed you."

She pulls him down hard and into a kiss, one that's deep and filled with every ounce of love she's held onto for him. To say she missed him was an understatement of all understatements. She never remarried, she never dated. She knew no one could come close to Dean so she never bothered.

"Mm-mm," Dean smiles slickly as he pulls away from her. "Now _that_ was worth waiting for."

"Just that?" she smirks, flirting with him immediately. She defaults right back into the younger person she always was with them. It's just that easy.

"You offering more?" he asks with sheer hope.

"I mean, are we allowed to fuck in heaven or is that, like… frowned upon?"

"Heaven doesn't care who's banging who," Dean shakes his head. "It's in the handbook."

"There's a heaven handbook!?" Lizzy asks incredulously.

"Yep. I'll let you see it later," Dean says quickly as he moves to scoop her up. He holds her bridal style as he kisses her again. He then starts quickly ascending the stairs in their well-loved, never changed home. "First… we're heading upstairs for a long ass time."

* * *

 **THE END**


	10. This is Heavy (Part 1)

**New prompt! The submitted prompt can be found at the end of this chapter. I am hoping this one doesn't turn into a 8+ chapter prompt like last time but it has so much potential! Enjoy. I apologize for the short length. Still working on finding free time. May kiddo is starting to sleep during the day so I might be able to work fast this time!**

* * *

 **2013**

"You want that last slice?" Dean asks across the metal kitchen table of the bunker while pointing to the lone piece of pizza left in the box between them.

"Have at it," Sam simply answers, wiping his mouth with a cheap paper napkin as he stands up.

Dean just smiles to himself. He grabs the slice hastily and takes a huge bite.

"You talk to Lizzy?" Sam asks as he picks up the trash from their dinner and takes it to the bin in the corner of the big mess hall-style kitchen, it starting to overflow yet he does nothing about it. He'll take it out before he gets nagged.

"Yeah," Dean answers through his bite, looking across the metal island at him. "They got in an hour ago."

"Nice of Lou to let me know," Sam lightly complains, having never head from her.

"Eh, probably figured I'd tell you." Dean shrugs it off.

"Nice work on that," Sam gripes lightly, smirking on his way to the antique icebox built into the wall.

"They decided they're staying for an extra day," Dean tells him, ignoring the sarcasm. "Which works out. If we go after that possible vamp nest in Idaho, we'll get back before they do."

"If the hunt goes our way you mean?" Sam comments, peeking into the refrigerator. Dean nods once when his mouth is too full to speak in answer. "When was the last time that actually happened?"

Dean shrugs. "Dunno."

"Try never," Sam laughs.

"Looks like a small nest though," he says before swallowing his food. "Could handle this in our sleep."

"So why don't we send out someone else on this?" Sam suggests. "Stay here. Get some research done."

"You mean research you don't want your wife knowing you're doing?" Dean challenges.

"Shut up," he says back sharply, feeling the weight of his omission. "And Lizzy's cool with you hunting for no other reason than to hunt?" he questions with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Dean looks away and takes another big bite, not answering. Guilty.

"I knew you didn't tell her before she left," Sam gets mad. "Dean…."

"Sam, I know. Okay? I know." Dean finishes his bite to defend himself. "We talked about me hunting. She's the one that said I shouldn't hunt unless it had to do with the Trials… which she's super pissed at you for not telling Lou about still."

Now Sam looks guilty. "I'll tell her when she gets back." His brother huffs in disbelief. " _I will_. I just didn't want to ruin their first trip back home in a long time. And this all _just_ happened. I need some time with it myself."

Dean gets quiet for a moment, still upset that Sam is the one taking this on. "I still think we should find another hellhound and let me kill this one…."

"Not gonna happen," Sam shakes his head in refusal. "What's done is done. And I know I can do this."

"I know you can too, Sammy," Dean wrinkles his forehead, and takes another bite, ending the statement there.

And Sam knows it isn't that Dean thinks he can't handle the Trials. He knows it's just that old big brother act rearing its head. Dean's gotten better at letting Sam do his thing and worrying less as he has his own wife and son to think about and focus on. But sometimes… sometimes he's still just simply a big brother like always.

"Well, when you get sent to the dog house for not telling her, which you know is gonna happen, then I guess I'll be meeting you there," Dean bitches a little.

Sam huffs a laugh. "So, you're going behind Lizzy's back instead of grabbing your balls and telling her?"

"Hey! Not telling Lizzy that I'm going vamp hunting has nothing to do with my manhood, okay?" Dean points out, offended. "I'm just avoiding unnecessary conflict."

"You're being a wimp," Sam calls him out.

"And you're not?" He cocks an eyebrow at him in challenge.

Sam sighs with more guilt as he brings two bottles of beer to the table and sits back down. He places both bottles on the table and Dean picks them up one at a time, popping them with a silverware knife. Dean passes one back to Sam and they clink bottles.

"To the dog house," Sam smirks, knowing they're both cooked.

"Woof," Dean answer back flatly and gulps down a healthy amount of beer. After he swallows he sighs, "Ah. Well, upside of the wife and kid being away, I can drink like I want to…."

Dean's thought gets cut off when a bright light blasts through the room as the longest door of the old fashioned icebox flies open sharply, the door slamming into the wall with massive force. The light bursts brighter as a body is launched through the open doorway, the form flying through the air a few feet and landing hard on its side. The person then skids with force until it hits the metal table Dean and Sam are sitting at, back first. The open icebox door then slams shut, putting the room into calm silence once more. The whole abrupt moment ends as quickly as it began.

"Ugh… ow…."

With just a quick glance at each other, the brothers stand up sharply. Sam grabs a big butcher knife off the kitchen island near him and holds it out, prepared for anything, as Dean pulls his trusty handgun out from behind his back. He aims at the intruder that's groaning in pain on the floor as he thanks his lucky stars that he planned to head to the awesome shooting range he found in the basement yesterday after he finished dinner.

"Jesus… that sucked so hard," the young man's voice groans from the floor, clearly still hurting as he rolls onto his side and grabs his back.

" _Get up_ ," Dean directs, his voice commanding and showing immediately that he means business. He flicks the safety off of his gun, getting a really bad feeling about this situation.

"Ugh, wait. Hold on," the man answers, shifting slowly to his knees before getting up, a hand pressing onto the edge of the table for assistance. "Damn. Wasn't ready for that kinda entrance," he laughs a little, looking at Sam and then Dean. "Hey, guys."

"Is this what it's gonna be like living here? Dudes falling out of our appliances?" Dean asks Sam with a little panic. They just found this place.

"Who are you?" Sam booms out in his best, most intimidating voice as he ignores his brother for now. The knife in his hand is held out at the ready, his stance prepared for a fight.

"Okay, can you put the weapons away?" the younger man asks, attitude full out. "I know you guys are all cautious and paranoid and all but seriously, it's a bit much."

"You just flew out of our fucking icebox. I'll put the gun away when I'm ready," Dean comments before repeating Sam's question. "Who are you?"

"Relax…."

Dean cocks his gun when the young man takes a step towards him. " _Don't_ move." The man freezes mid-step and holds out his hands in surrender. "Let's try this again. _Who are you_?"

"Put the gun down and I'll tell you," the smartass says back, smiling in a cocky manner.

Before he knows it, Sam's crept up behind him. Grabbing the intruder swiftly up under his arms and locking his hands around the back of the intruder's head, Sam gets him immobile quickly and Dean steps right up to him.

"See…" Dean starts, grabbing a fistful of the man's t-shirt in one hand as he presses the barrel of his gun to the guy's forehead right in the center. "You're the one that just… poofed out of a wall in my home. Tell me to relax again and it's lobotomy time. When we ask a question, you answer. Capisce?"

"Fuck, you have not changed," the guy answers with a slight smile, still keeping his confident ways in the face of possible death.

"Buddy, I'd lay off the attitude," Sam warns from behind him and tightens his grip.

"Ow. Okay! Okay! Jesus, sorry," the guy rolls his eyes. "Ask a damn question then."

"Why the hell are you jailbreaking our kitchen?" Dean asks right off.

"Well… technically I'm not jailbreaking your kitchen if I'm breaking _into_ your kitchen," he tries to logic, not meaning to be more annoying.

Dean's not amused. "Answer!"

"I need your help… you and Sam's," he answers simply.

"I'm sorry, do we know you?" Sam asks with confusion.

"Uh… kinda…."

"What do you need help with?" Sam questions, hold not letting up.

"Saving my mom," he spills quickly.

"You're mom?" Dean pulls the gun off his forehead but keeps it aimed. "Why?"

"Because I'd rather not lose her," the guys answers. "She's in trouble and I need help fixing her."

"Why would we help you save your mom?" Sam asks, loosening his grip to a less painful place when he knows there's a real reason for this young man to be here. And honestly, if there's going to be a soft spot for the Winchesters it would be mothers.

"Because that's what you do?" he answers with an attitude once more. "Saving people? Hunting things? Sound familiar? You need to help me."

"How the hell do you know about that?" Dean wonders, his heart beginning to pound. This person knows about their family, clearly. And as Dean stands there and really looks at his face something is making Dean itch. He looks too familiar.

"Because… you've said those words to me before," he answers easily enough. "When I first started hunting."

"Me?" Dean asks, surprised. "I don't even know you."

"Oh my god, seriously?" he asks with shock, pointing at his own face while Sam still has him restrained. " _This_ doesn't look familiar to you?"

"Am I supposed to remember every kid I come across?" Dean snaps back

"No… but I figured you'd recognize your own."

Dean takes a step back, lowering his gun immediately. Staring at the face before him, it all clicks. The eyes. The lips. The stance. The clothes. The attitude. "Sammy?"

"About time, dad," Sammy bitches at his father before turning his head to the side the little that he can. "You mind letting up a little, Uncle Sam?"

Wide eyed, Sam lets him go. When the kid turns around he can clearly see now that it's his nephew he's looking at… yet he's much older. "How…? But you're three!"

"Oh, come on!" Sammy huffs a laugh. "How many times have you both time traveled? You think that's exclusively for you two?" Sammy brushes off his jeans and straightens his army green canvas jacket. "I have my ways."

"Wait… how old are you?" Dean asks him, not processing what's happening.

"Twenty-two. I'm coming from the year 2033."

"Okay…." Dean's not sure what to make of all this.

"Hold on," Sam suddenly gets alarmed. "You said you need help saving your mom?"

"Yeah, I do," Sammy nods, picking up his backpack from the floor now that the big reveal is done. His bag fell off while being launched into the room. He drops in onto the metal table.

"Hold up," Dean shakes his head. "How do I even know you're my son for sure? You could be a shifter… or a demon… or…."

"A million other things," Sammy finishes for him, pulling out a water bottle. He takes a big sip from it, the rosary beads floating around in it catching the two seasoned hunter's eyes. Sammy doesn't sizzle or react. He then pulls out a small flask, unscrews the cap, and pours some salt into his hand. No reaction once more. He then shakes out his hands to rid them of salt and pulls a silver knife out of the back of his pocket.

He flips it open, watching Dean and Sam both flinch when the weapon appears.

"Chill, guys," Sammy tells them calmly, moving slowly to make sure they can trust him. He pulls his sleeve up and makes a shallow cut in the skin of his arm. It bleeds red like a normal human. He then looks between the two brothers. "We good now?"

Dean's face immediately darkens as he pulls a handkerchief from his back pocket. He hands it to Sammy on autopilot as he asks, "What's wrong with L?" His heart is already beating rapidly with the idea that something could be off with his wife.

"Uh… it's kinda complicated," Sammy tells him while wrapping up his cut, not sure how to break the news. When done, he unzips his pack and pulls out a fairly new yet well-loved leather journal.

"Sammy, what's wrong with your mom?" Dean tries again with a little more insistence in his tone, his urgency clear.

Sammy sighs and sits down at the table. He picks up one of the ditched beers and takes a big sip.

"Hey, whoa… no way," Dean shakes his head and swipes the beverage from his son without thinking.

"Dude… I'm twenty-two. Legally, you can't tell me not to drink," Sammy remarks quickly, grabbing the other left behind beer and drinking from that.

"You better start explaining," Dean warns him in his fatherly tone.

Sammy huffs a laugh, disgusted with his life and how it's going back in his own time. He drops the bottle back onto the table, fisting it in two hands before looking up at his father. "Mom got herself into some trouble. And… the outcome is bad."

"How bad?"

"Really bad."

"Is she alive?" Sam asks, getting scared.

"Kind of," Sammy nods.

"But kinda not?" Dean wonders.

Swallowing hard, knowing he's about to crush his father, Sammy answers. "Mom, she's…." He stops, the pain clear on his face. He's been dealing with this for years and it's never gotten easier, not even a little.

"Sammy? What?" Dean asks, his heart racing with fear.

"Dad… mom's a demon."

* * *

 **Submitted Prompt:  
** **I've actually had a bit of an idea from this series (Lizzy-verse) and maybe you'll be interested. So the idea is: Sam and Dean are out on a hunt and Sammy from the future, say around 16-17 shows up in their motel room (much like their grandfather did when he was running from Abaddon) and he's looking for Dean because of something that happens to Lizzy (or Sam) in the future. At first he doesn't want to tell Dean that he's his son but let's it slip at one point. Lizzy and Dean are a couple years in their relationship, Lou and Sam aren't officially together but have their thing going on. Cass is also around doing whatever it is that angels do. So yeah those are the main points. The season this is set in is up to you.**

 **I may have taken liberties. I started this chapter with them in a motel room but the bunker ended up making more sense. You'll see why when you understand why this is set in season 8. Also, Dean and Lizzy have been together for a while longer than a couple years and Sam and Lou are already married. I love this prompt. Depending how it turns out it may become part of my main series. Awesome, incredible prompt!**


	11. This is Heavy (Part 2)

It would have hurt less if someone shivved Dean in the heart with a sharpened toothbrush prison-style. Nothing makes sense right now. Nothing.

"Are you sure?" Sam asks but Dean barely hears him. His brain isn't able to work. It's trudging slowly through the whole Lizzy-is-a-demon thing at such a slow pace that everything else is white noise.

"Uh, pretty sure," Sammy tells him, grabbing his bag, journal, and the beer he's officially stolen. "Been tracking her for years."

"Wait… _years_!?" Sam nearly shouts.

"Yeah. She got turned back in 2014 and ditched. She's been a monster ever since. I've caught up to her a few times but it doesn't matter. She always gets away. No matter what I do, she keeps going."

"I don't understand," Dean finally gets out when he starts to clear his mind enough to speak. "Lizzy… your mom… my wife…."

"A demon. A big raging one too," Sammy says emphatically to drive the point home but neither brother misses the pain he tries to hide.

"But she wouldn't run away from you," Dean logics. "I mean, she loves you more than she loves me. You're her damn world."

"I was," Sammy nods, agreeing. She turned when he was just a kid but he still remembers her. He still has moments like when they'd read before bed, when she'd make him peanut butter and jelly with the crust cut off, and when she'd tell him he was her world and kiss his cheek. His mother was his home, his safe place, his form of love… and it disappeared when he was just four. "Not anymore though."

"That doesn't make sense…."

"It does. She's not mom anymore. She's a demon. Demons don't give a fuck about love and family. Their priorities are way different. They have no heart. Hell, they have no soul."

"How? How the hell did this happen? She's not stupid enough to sell her soul in the first place," Dean tells his son. "And it takes a ten year contract coming due plus years of torture to turn someone and if she gets turned just a year from now…."

"She never made any deals," Sammy assures him while cutting off his rambling logic.

"Then how?" Sam wants to know just as badly.

Sammy sighs heavily, clutching his stuff. "Meet me in the library. I can explain it all."

He then leaves the room and heads in the correct direction, the young hunter clearly very comfortable in the bunker, knowing it well.

Horrified green eyes land on Sam the second Sammy is gone.

"You trust him?" Dean asks, clearly looking to be told that Sam doesn't trust the newcomer. If that really is their family then chances are Lizzy really is a demon. All of which doesn't make sense, not to them.

"He's your son, isn't he?" Sam challenges.

"I think so," Dean nods sadly.

"Is there any way we can be sure it's him?" Sam asks, needing to be totally sure.

"Uh… I don't know," Dean shakes his head. "I mean, we have books written about us. Anyone can read those and know everything about us."

Sam nods. He thinks quickly, looking at the grungy floor. He thinks about the young Sammy he knows, their relationship… and what it is Sam would be sure only their actually family would know or have….

Head whipping up and looking at Dean with wide eyes, Sam's clearly got an idea.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Come on," Sam gestures for Dean to follow and he takes off after Sammy.

* * *

"What kind of car do you drive?" Sam asks as he marches into the bunker library, Dean hot on his heels.

Sammy looks up from his open journal to stare at both of them with disbelief. "Are you seriously asking that?"

"Yeah, I am," Sam nods, standing at the end of one of the long wooden tables in the room, staring at what he thinks is probably his nephew.

"Answer the question," Dean adds in when Sammy rolls his eyes. He stands next to his brother, waiting.

Sammy sighs as he walks for a specific bookshelf, pulling a volume with barely a look. His comfort makes it seem as though he really must live there. "You want to know if I drive dad's old Impala I take it. That's the test to see if I'm really me?"

Neither answer, making it obvious that it is in fact the test.

"Sorry dad. But no," Sammy tells him. "I don't drive the black '67 Chevy Impala you got from your dad, John, when you were a hunting twenty-something. And yes, I know all about the green army man Uncle Sam stuck in the ashtray in the backseat when he was a dumb kid… and the Legos you put in the vent when _you_ were a dumb kid. And that you called it Baby. That good enough?"

"Why aren't you driving her then?" Dean asks, brow furrowed and worried. He knows he would have handed his car down to his boy by now. Sammy should have it.

"Because mom took it," Sammy informs him, placing the large volume on the table and flipping through it, searching. "She knew what it meant to you so she took it after she turned black-eyed and left. And then she took it to a scrap yard and had it destroyed. Crushed into a cube." Sammy pauses and looks over at his dad.

The horror is written all over his face.

"That's how we all knew for sure she wasn't mom. Not anymore," Sammy further explains. "When a box showed up on the doorstep of the bunker no one knows about with the keys and that little army man in it along with a piece of broken horn button and a note that said 'Don't bother looking for me. You'll regret it.'… we knew."

Dean's pale-white, devastated face just stares at Sammy. "Why would she do that?"

"She still knew what that car meant to you. That was her way of saying she's gone for good, that she was totally different and not your wife anymore… or my mom." Sammy's face wrinkles a little and he looks down at the book again, searching for the page. "My mom would never do that."

Sam's not ready to accept all this, or maybe he can't. "Okay, but anyone that read the Chuck Shirley books would know…."

"Don't even get me started with that fucking guy," Sammy gets irrationally angry right off.

Thinking that reaction was odd, Sam pushes the issue. "What did Chuck ever do to you? Well, besides write the books."

Sammy sighs, eyes closed. Right… they still think Chuck is dead. And just a shitty writer. And not God. "That's one long ass story. We don't have time for all that."

"Why?"

Sammy glances at Sam. "Because not everyone thought me coming back in time to save mom was a good idea. And I think that disagreeing party might be coming for me… to take me back. I gotta get some shit done before that happens."

"Disagreeing party? Who?" Dean pries.

"Cassie!" Sammy slams a hand down on the book in front of him. "I don't have time to explain everything! Okay!? Cass didn't want me to do this but I did, so he'll probably be on his way the second he knows I'm gone! Moving on!"

Both brothers can tell this is a true issue with the serious look Sammy gives them along with his volume.

"Guess he really is our family," Sam comments with shock. A Winchester going against an angel, even a friend of an angel, makes Sammy fall right in like.

Dean steps forward, ready to dive in, but Sam holds an arm out in front of him to stop him.

"Just prove something to us," Sam continues to insist. "Something that we _know_ makes you Sammy. Without doubt."

"You still don't believe me!?" Sammy outrages.

"Clearly, you know what we've seen," Sam points out, using a calm voice so as not to upset Sammy any more. "So, you know we have to be cautious. We just want to be sure you're our Sammy, okay? I think that's fair. You prove who you are and we will help you with whatever you need."

"Fine. How about this?" Sammy opens his backpack and pulls out an old leather journal and slaps it onto the table. Immediately, the brothers know that journal. It's John's. It's more worn and torn but they know what they're seeing. Sammy keeps going. "How about this then?" Sammy pulls a leather cord necklace out of the neckline of his t-shirt, revealing that he's wearing the pendant Sam gave his brother on Christmas years ago and ended up in the trash after one bad trip to Heaven. "This good enough for you?" Sammy gets angry, pulling the neckline of his t-shirt to the side and lower, revealing the same tattoo that Sam and Dean both have on his upper chest.

Slowly, Dean reaches into the neck of his own shirt, producing the same necklace Sammy is wearing. The necklace Lizzy saved from the trash and gave him back. The necklace only he should have. "This is a one of a kind."

"Exactly," Sammy nods and stuffs his back into his shirt.

Silent for a beat, Dean does the same. "Well… I guess that kinda settles it, huh?" When Sam doesn't disagree, Dean tells the younger hunter, "What do you need, son?"

As Dean steps closer to Sammy, the boy's shoulders drop as he sighs with relief. Inside he wants to cry, finally feeling like he has his dad on his side. Finally. It's been so damn long since he's had that and right now… all he needs is his dad. He knows how young and weak that is but after everything… he needs his father.

"Thanks," Sammy awkwardly says to the open book, not making eye contact for fear of crying. "Uh… well… a lot has happened in my time. Cliffnotes version…." He points to a symbol on the old weathered page before them in the book he retrieved. "Mom had to take down a big bad and she did it using this."

"The Mark of Cain?" Dean asks, unfamiliar with what he's looking at. "The F-looking thing?"

"Yeah… along with the First Blade mom was able to take down a Knight of Hell that was pretty much poised to take over the planet and make it hell on Earth. Literally," Sammy explains as quickly as he can. "She got this branded on her arm and the second she got it she started to change."

"How?" Sam asks, sitting down at a chair at the table before nodding to one across from him. Sammy takes the hint and sits down also, Dean taking a chair next to him.

"She became… colder. Distant. She didn't spend as much time with me suddenly, she didn't really smile ever, and she was… angry. Really, really angry. All the time."

"Well, your mom did always have an anger problem," Dean explains lightly. "You wouldn't recognize the younger version of her. She was the reigning champ of bar fights."

Sammy's head snaps over to his dad. "You serious?" he asks with shock.

Dean huffs a laugh. "Once watched her drop a guy with one hit because he grabbed her ass and didn't listen when she told him to fuck off. It was awesome."

Sammy watches the flash of fondness and love across his father's face. It's nice to see that. It's been a long while.

"Well, this wasn't bar-fight-angry," Sammy tells him. "It was… beat-the-shit-out-of-good-people-over-next-to-nothing kind of angry. I watched her lose her shit while we were out at the grocery store together. I was four when I saw mom beat the crap outta some woman because she cut us in the checkout line. Just wailed on her in front of the whole store… in front of me."

"That's… disturbing," Sam says as he tries to process what he's told. "That's not like Lizzy."

"And that's what you both said when we came home and I told on her," Sammy says, staring at his dad. "You told me she wasn't like that. That mom wouldn't do that. You changed your tune when you saw her bruised knuckles later that night." Sammy exhales hard. "That was the most scared I had been up until that point in my life. I was fucking four."

The pain on Sammy's face is so familiar. Dean sees it on his own face every single time he looks in the mirror. He's seen so much, including the death of his own mother, and the idea that his boy could ever have the same and feel the same destroys him. Reaching over, Dean clamps a hand down on Sammy's shoulder to show him as much support as he can within the weird situation.

"After that it just got worse," Sammy tells him. "Mom would lock up in her room for hours or just leave for a day with no warning. She'd ditch me with you… wouldn't even say goodbye. I found out later it was because she was scared to be around me. If she was that angry… it wasn't good for me. Or safe. So at one point… she left all together."

"She just left?" Dean asks with wide eyes. "Lizzy left us?"

"For our safety, yeah," Sammy nods. "You know mom. Whatever it takes to keep her family safe she'll do it."

Dean now nods, knowing how right Sammy is. But this hurts. It doesn't make sense.

And this is where Sam steps in for good. He knows he has to hold this one together for all of them. Sammy's already too damaged and Dean is too disturbed by all he's hearing. "So… Lizzy gets the Mark of Cain on her arm. You mentioned the first blade."

"It's the blade Cain used to kill Abel," Sammy tells him. "The Mark and the Blade work together as the ultimate weapon. Can kill anything, even the shit the Colt can't off. It's pretty intense and that intensity is what fucked with mom enough to change her."

"So, the Mark is what made her a demon?"

"I think so," Sammy tells his uncle. "Mom ran off for a while but you guys went after her. I stayed with Jodie for a bit, until you told her to bring me back to the bunker. I was so excited to see mom again. It'd been months and even if she was angry before she left… I missed her so fucking much." He sighs. "But when I got here… you told me she was gone."

"Gone?" Dean asks.

"Dead," Sammy clarifies. "She fought that Knight of Hell and killed it. She then went after some rogue angel that was crazy strong for whatever reason… I think he might have closed heaven's gates or something, I don't remember. Let's just say… it didn't end well. She was stabbed through. She, uh… she died in your arms." He looks to his dad with a look of apology and utter sorrow.

"So, she's dead?" Sam asks, trying to figure this all out.

"Was," Sammy explains. "But the Mark wouldn't let her go. It brought her back to life somehow, not sure how." Sammy shifts in his seat and clears his throat, stalling for time as he gets control of his emotions. Saying this all out loud is bringing the very real, very sharp pain of it all back. "We were gonna burn her body out back and bury her there… by then we called this place home anyways. Seemed right. But when dad went to go get her from their room after you guys made the pyre… she wasn't there. Her body was gone."

"Gone to where?" Dean asks him.

"Everywhere. She was up and mobile. Once we realized she was actually alive you guys and Aunt Lou began tracking her. Some security footage showed her stabbing a guy with the First Blade outside a mall. He came at her with a knife first but that low level demon was no match for her. She killed him all too easily… and then flashed some back eyes at the security camera before driving off in a stolen Camaro."

"I don't get how that can happen," Sam admits.

"It's the Mark. It corrupted her completely. Its power comes from Lucifer himself. Not much trumps that. All I know is that shit changed her, turned her into something unrecognizable and… she's now a Knight of Hell that's taken over all of Hell." He laughs with disgust at everything, looking down at the table in front of him. "Fucking 18 years of this shit. She's been a demon almost my whole life."

Dean watches his adult son rub his eyes with pure stress and he's crushed for him. His son, his young kid that is pure happiness and love and all things good that Dean had never once assumed he could nurture in a child, is just a shadow of what he once was. He's worn and too old for his age. He's tired. He's broken and he's clearly had too much on his shoulders for too long. He's been an adult for too long….

"Damn it, you're me," Dean sighs under his breath as he sits back in his chair and rubs his own eyes much like Sammy just did. The realization that his boy turns out just like him, that Dean's number one nightmare comes true in the future, is horrifying. Not to mention his number two nightmare, anything happening to Lizzy, also comes true. Looking up at the ceiling, it being easier to do than look at his child that he failed, Dean tells him, "This is everything I didn't want for you."

"Then you shouldn't have had me," Sammy tells him with anger.

"What!?" Dean asks him with anger of his own.

"You heard me."

"Are you fucking nuts?"

"No, I'm not," Sammy stares right at his dad with fury. "You and mom should never have had me. I mean, you're fucking hunters. What the fuck did you think was gonna happen? I was gonna grow up well-adjusted and normal." He laughs with disgust. "I don't think so."

"Are you kidding me?" Dean asks him with outrage. "You're the best fucking thing we ever did with our crappy lives. How could you say that?"

Sammy stares at him with shock. "Your mom was a hunter. How'd that work out? You live a normal life?"

Dean says nothing.

"And your grandfather, Henry? Men of Letter. That work out any better for John? Or either of you?"

Still, no reply.

"I was doomed, okay? And you should have known that would be the case," Sammy fires out and stops himself there. He then takes a deep breath with balled fists. "Fuck this. I didn't come here to fight with you about the past. I came here to change it so that none of this shit happens."

"You have a plan?" Dean after a silence. Hearing his son wish to never have been born is too painful for him to let it actually in right now. Focus on the task at hand.

"I might," Sammy nods, opening his own journal. "I was thinking, since the Mark…."

A massive crash in the bunker from a room far off interrupts him.

Wide, horrified eyes flash over to the doorway. He knows already what's happening.

"Fuck!" Sammy shouts and jumps up fast, quickly pulling all the journals and books together and shoving them into his backpack.

"What's going on?" Sam asks, both brothers on their feet instantly.

"She followed me," Sammy answers quickly.

"Lizzy!?" Dean panics.

"We need to go. Now!" Sammy panics all the same, running around to a couple bookshelves and pulling a few important books from memory.

Dean sprints to the chair that he discarded his green army jacket on last night. The keys for the Impala are in there so he grabs it. They just need to get to the garage before….

"Oh! Look at this!"

Everyone freezes with the familiar voice that has a new ease and new sharp edge to it. All three look to the doorway between the map room and the library just in time to watch Lizzy, clad in a black leather jacket and some old grey jeans with her favorite Led Zeppelin shirt on. Boots heavily hitting the floor every step, she makes it up the handful of stairs and stops, looks over the group.

"Family fucking reunion," she grins evilly. "Ugh, I'm such a sap for a family get together. I should go run and get my camera to document this perfect little circle jerk."

No one moves, unsure of what to do. Dean's eyes snap onto Sammy. His son is frozen in place, fear in his expression.

Lizzy's eye land on Dean and her face lights up with desire as her eyes flash black. "Ooh, hubby. I forgot how fucking hot you used to be." She walks over to him with a smile, eyes staying black. Dean takes a few steps backwards when his heart nearly stops with the sight but she makes up the difference too fast. With a hand fisted into his t-shirt, she pulls him close. "Mm, we had so much fun together before all this mess. I miss it. I mean, I've done my fair share of fucking since I ditched your ass but… fuck me if anyone has ever held a candle to you."

Dean's mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. It's been rare in life that he's ever been this scared.

"Aw, you missed me so much that you're fucking speechless. Hot damn. Didn't know Dean Winchester would ever be at a loss for words." With her free hand she runs her fingers through his hair, admiring him a moment. "I knew leaving you was a mistake. I should have just locked you up somewhere cozy… used you when I wanted to."

Her arm thrusts out to the side without even glancing in the direction. Telekinetically, Lizzy shoves Sam back into one of the library bookshelves, Ruby's knife dropping from his grip and clattering across the floor.

"Now, now, Sam-I-Am," she chides at him with a tsk as she uses her powers to keep him pinned to the shelving. "Is that any way to greet your best friend? All the talks through the years, the leaning on me and the shoulder you've cried on… and you could just stab me in the back like it never happened?"

"You're not her," Sam struggles out as the pressure keeping him there makes it hard to breathe.

"You know, I'm really not," Lizzy smirks, her fist still in Dean's shirt. He tries to pry her finger open and her hand doesn't budge. Lizzy doesn't even pay attention to his efforts as she knows he can't get her to let go. Instead she just keeps looking at Sam. "I'm a whole new Lizzy. I'm one unburdened by the bullshit that guilt and responsibility comes with. My life is way more fun now!" She laughs, something bone chilling to it.

Lizzy then looks back to Dean and sees his terrified expression. She blinks and her bright brown eyes return. "I sometimes forget how intimidating those things can be. This better, Baby?" She then cups his face with both hands. "Just like the old days, right?"

Dean shakes his head. "This isn't you."

"Yeah… uh, I think we _just_ went over that," she makes light of everything. "I'm a better me now. You'll learn to love me…."

"Leave him alone, mom," Sammy speaks up, trying to keep her voice steady as he attempts to get the focus on him for a moment. He's hoping to keep his dad and uncle safe if he can. It's not their fault that he dropped this on them and they have to survive in order to change this all.

Lizzy sighs heavily with annoyance and lets go of Dean for now. " _Son_ ," Lizzy scolds and turns to him. She walks a little closer to Sammy and stops walking a few feet from him. "Now, Samuel. What did mommy say about running away from her, hm?"

Sammy's eye narrow.

"You can run but, kiddo… you can't ever hide from me. Not for long. I am your mother after all."

"You haven't been my mother in years and you know it."

Lizzy's face gets serious. "Don't piss me of, Sammy. Not anymore than you already have. Or else I won't make this clean and painless."

"Why are you here?" Sammy asks boldly through the threat.

"I'm here for you, dear," she innocently replies, smiling at him like she used to when she was still just his loving mother.

"You're all talk," Sammy calls her out with certainty. "We both know you won't kill me…."

"Wrong!" she lights up with a wide smile. "I would _love_ to kill you."

"What?" Sammy asks with frightened confusion.

"Kiddo, you've been a fucking torn in my side forever and now I come to visit and find you trying to undo all I've accomplished." She steps closer and pokes him twice in the chest as she says, " _Not. Cool_. And I think you already know how I handle thorns in my side." She smirks again. "I pull them out… and then I crush them like bugs. After skinning them alive, of course. Right, Dean?" Lizzy looks over her shoulder and winks at her husband.

Dean's face pales when he knows that can't mean anything good.

"Oh. _Right_. You wouldn't know about the fun I had with you a few years back. Don't worry though, sweetheart. We'll get there." She blows him a kiss before turning back to face her son.

Sammy takes the moment to prepare himself. He glances off to the side and sees the sword on display that he remembers very clearly. With swift movements, Sammy grabs the sword off the bookshelf display.

When Lizzy turns back to Sammy she's taken completely by surprise when she's stabbed right through the middle with a long sword in Sammy's hands. She screams and falls to her knees, flashes of bright yellow and orange light streaking through her body and showing through her skin.

"Run!" Sammy shout at his family as he grabs his bag and bolts out of the room.

Sam drops from his pinned place once Lizzy's powered down a moment with the attack and he and Dean sprint after Sammy.

They follow him through the bunker to the garage, all the whole hearing Lizzy's screams of pain through the stark halls.

"What the hell was that!?" Dean asks as they reach the garage. He yanks open the driver's side door and Sam dives into the passenger seat. Sammy flies for the backseat.

"Just drive! She won't be down long!" Sammy yells as he pulls the door shut.

Dean turns the key and revs the engine, peeling out of the open garage doors that he thankfully forgot to close last night.

As they drive out the underground entrance, Sammy peers out the back windshield just in time to see Lizzy run into the room. She slows to a stop and watches them leave, her eyes flashing black as she grins maniacally at her son.

Sammy just turns around, knowing they're gone for now. She'll find then, he doesn't doubt that for a second, but he has some buffer time.


	12. This is Heavy (Part 3)

**Note: I am SO SORRY for the delay! Between the holidays, going back to work, and my kiddo I have been a busy mess. I will try to change that in the near future!**

* * *

"What the fuck just happened!?" Dean shouts as he barrels down the long, remote Kansas highway after having just gotten away from Lizzy, knight of hell.

"Mom followed me and thank god you still had this fucking sword around," Sammy complains, pulling his personal journal from his bag in the backseat.

"What is that thing?" Sam has to know, thinking only Rudy's knife could affect a demon like that.

"A sword that's been etched with Kurdish spell work," Sammy answers quickly and without thought. He then mutters to himself, "How the fuck did she follow me?"

"Great!" Sam complains. "Now we have a Knight of Hell loose and we have no way to kill her."

"Knew I shouldn't have trusted that fucking douche bag…."

"What douche bag?" Dean asks, looking at his son in the rearview mirror as he drives too fast, his heart still racing with the encounter… and with the sight of Lizzy's black eyes still burned in his brain.

"Dylan… that fucker," Sammy bitches, looking up at his dad in the mirror. "Some hunter-slacker that sold me the last of his belladonna when I met up with him last week. Must have been weak shit though. I needed the real strong stuff. He swore it was. Fucking dick."

"So, weak belladonna means….?"

"Weak seal on the portal left behind me," Sammy explains. "The spell I used makes a portal from one time to another in the past but drops you right in the location you left from. I left the bunker kitchen in 2033 and arrived in the bunker kitchen in 2013. But when I left I did it quick."

"Because Lizzy found you," Sam takes a wild guess.

"Exactly. She broke into the bunker and I knew she was coming. I had some extra warding up but not much can hold her for long. She must have caught up and rode the portal. Fuck Dylan. I'm gonna gut that bitch when I see him again."

"I would," Dean agrees easily, the dishonesty worth an ass beating. "So, what now?"

"We have to get to mom. Like, _now_ ," Sammy tells them with urgency. "Where is she?"

"She's in Cape Cod with your aunt and… you," Dean answers.

"Then we need to head to Massachusetts," Sammy tells them, nodding to himself. We have to get to them before demon-mom does. She's probably already figured out where they are and is on her way. Dad, call her and tell her to find somewhere to hide and do it well."

"Shit, okay," Dean agrees and maneuvers to pull his phone out of his back pocket. He dials quickly and puts the phone to his ear. As it rings once, he panics. "Crap, what do I tell her?"

"Ask where she's staying and if there's somewhere off the grid they can get to fast from there," Sammy suggests. "They need to go underground. _Now_."

"Shit… hey! Uh, L," Dean stutters through once his wife picks up on the other end of the call. "How… how's the trip?"

" _Seriously_?" Sammy harshly whispers, outraged at the mess his father is right now. He's supposed to be a hunter of legend, not a nervous disaster.

"Me? Oh, uh… well, something kinda fucked up happened," Dean says, going for an easy voice that doesn't reveal panic. "Where are you guys staying…? Can you check out… and maybe disappear for a while?" His face winces when he gets an earful. "Look, L, some shit hit the fan. I can't go into it right now but please, trust me, you need to disappear for a little bit."

Sharing a look of sympathy with his brother, Sam knows the hell he's catching. After the Leviathan fiasco, asking Lizzy to go underground like that again is like asking for a damn divorce.

"No, I'm not…. L, listen to me…. Lizzy, just…." Dean pauses, pulls the phone away from his ear and sighs with frustration.

"We don't have time for this," Sammy mutters and swipes the phone from his father, reaching hastily over the back of the front seating.

"Hey!" Dean gets pissed.

"Lizzy," Sammy says into the phone, his tone authoritative and don't-fuck-with-me. "You need to take your family and disappear for a little bit. I know you know how to make that happen. You've done it before. I'm not fucking around here. Just take them, ditch wherever you are, and make yourself invisible until Dean calls you."

Dean's wide eyes watch closely through the rearview mirror, eyes snapping to the road every few seconds as he drives. Someone just talked to Lizzy like that. Damn.

"Who the hell am I?" Sammy repeats her question to stall for time. "Call me a concerned friend of the family. Dean will explain everything once this is over. Please, just get gone until you hear from us, okay? Can you do that for me? For your little boy?"

Sammy knows his mother well enough, or at least the woman she used to be. Making Sammy, her little man, the priority was the best bet he had.

"Thank you. No, I don't need to know where you are yet. Neither does Dean or Sam. Just go. We'll call you when we get close to meet up."

Hanging up, Sammy hands the phone back as if nothing happened.

"How did you do that?" Sam asks, awe in his eyes as he looks at the older version of his nephew.

"Do what?" Sammy asks, smirking a little with too much confidence as he pulls a book out of his backpack, getting to business.

"The last time I talked to Lizzy like that she nearly chopped my balls off," Dean adds in, agreeing with Sam and his shock.

"I know my mother… or who she used to be at least." The sadness in his tone isn't lost on his uncles. "I'm her priority. Give her the perspective of saving me then… she'll do anything."

Dean nods, impressed. His son does know his mother well. "Nice work."

"Dude, just get us to them as fast as you can," Sammy answers, looking down at the now open pages. He smiles for just a second after hearing praise from his dad. It felt good.

* * *

About a half hour after Dean started driving Sammy passed out in the backseat, one of the book he took with him wide open on his lap. He head is bent back, mouth wide open, and he could be dead he's so out of it.

"What the fuck, Sam?" Dean says quietly, not willing to wake his son from the future.

"I know…."

"No, seriously. What the fucking fuck, man?" Dean huffs with disbelief. "Is this actually what we have to look forward too? Sammy turning into me and Lizzy terrorizing us all?"

"Looks like," Sam nods, looking out the windshield at the road as it flies under their wheels.

Dean shakes his head. "This _can't_ happen."

Sam peers at his brother, noting the dark look on his face. The anger is covering up the sheer terror he's actually feeling under it all. "It looks pretty bad…."

"Pretty bad!? Dean outrages, a hash whisper flying from his mouth. "This is a fucking disaster!"

"I just don't get how this could happen," Sam admits. "Lizzy has never been this stupid. I mean, of all of us… Lizzy's the smartest in the heat-of-the-moment situations."

"Right?" Dean agrees. "I'm the one that fucks up this big. She's supposed to bitch at me and clean it up. She's not the mess maker."

"And she wouldn't normally take on something as big as the Mark of Cain without truly knowing and considering the consequences."

"Again…." Dean and Sam both point to Dean at the same time, knowing he's the hasty one.

"We need to find out more about this whole thing," Sam says, peeking into the back seat. He sees the second journal, not John's, lying next to Sammy's leg on the backseat. Without thinking, Sam moves slowly and reaches for it. He takes it with calculated moves.

"Don't wake him," Dean complains when he sees what Sam's up to.

"I won't," Sam bitches back in a whisper.

" _Don't_ ," Dean worries aloud again. "The kid's wrecked. I don't know what he's been up to lately but he's is completely destroyed. He needs the rest."

Sam carefully grabs the journal and sits back into his seat. Before opening it, he sighs while thinking. Turning to look at his brother, he asks, "When was the last time you felt _that_ tired?"

Dean observes Sammy asleep sitting up in the backseat. After the adrenaline rush of the previous moment he shouldn't be able to so deeply sleep so soon afterwards. It's not good. "Probably while on the run from the Leviathan. Between having to be paranoid about monsters, being on the run constantly, and Lizzy and I being a disaster… I barely slept."

"And Sammy's looking about as good as you did back then," Sam points out. "That means that what he's been through…."

"I can't think about that, Sam," Dean stops him right there. The unfathomable life he's let his child live is not something he can truly let his brain comprehend right now. And he knows he'll never forgive himself for it either. I couldn't. "We need to make sure that whatever this hellish freak show is… it doesn't actually happen."

"No shit," Sam mutters, opening the journal as he lets his nephew sleep off the nightmare he's been living while he's clearly feeling safe for what can only be the first time in a long time. He remembers days like that, when hunting and the life made him feel like nothing was sable and he was never truly safe. And then when he finally felt safe again, when Dean would drive them in the car or they'd hole up at Bobby's for a few days, he'd finally drift off and get that perfect sleep he needed so badly.

Sammy deserves to feel that as Sam's starting to think it's been an extremely long time since that's happened for him.

Diving into the journal, Sammy's handwriting all block letters and capitals not unlike his father's, the picture being painted is horrific. Worse than Sam could have imagined. Worse than they've seen before now.

"Dean… this is…." Sam pauses, shaking his head with shock and deep concern.

"What?" Dean needs to know, having been driving silently for an hour while Sam read. The nausea hits hard with Sam's speechlessness.

"She's… the Queen of Hell," Sam tells his brother.

"What!?" Dean fears loudly.

"Yeah. Queen of Hell. She killed Crowley in some huge battle and… since then she's ruled Hell. And from the way Sammy makes it sound… she's beloved."

"Demons love her?" Dean need to get straight.

"Definitely. And she's pretty damn successful. From what Sammy's written, Hell's united. It's a well-oiled machine and… it's winning."

"Winning what?" Dean has to wonder.

"Everything," Sam huffs a disbelieving sigh. "Deals are up, witches are throwing themselves at the cause left and right, the opposition is thinning… she's got a reputation. They call her the huntress."

"What does she hunt?"

"Hunters." Sam glances to his side and shares a look with his brother, one laces with fright.

"She hunts hunters?" Dean has to be sure.

"Yes. She, uh… well, according to this… she started with you," Sam just gets it over with.

Dean's face pales. "Me?"

"She took you from the bunker one night when Sammy was ten," Sam says while flipping to the first page. "He started his journal right after that. You went missing, I knew Lizzy was behind it, so Lou took him and went on the run. I went after you."

Dean grows very silent after that. He'd been asking minimal questions, mostly listening, but now it feels like he couldn't speak if he wanted to. Lizzy took him? From their son? Even as a demon, Dean can't picture Lizzy doing such a thing.

"And…" Sam keeps peaking, flipping a few pages. "Apparently, I found you. Skinned alive and dead for days in some warehouse in Topeka."

"She… _killed_ me?" Dean needs clarification.

"Yeah," Sam says with a heavy voice. "She… kept you for days before… choosing to torture you first. What the hell? Sammy wrote this when he was eleven. Lou told him how it went down!?"

"Sammy… he's been alone since he was eleven," Dean shakes his head.

"Sounds like he had Lou with him," Sam cuts in. "They stayed a step ahead of Lizzy after she offed us."

" _Us_!?"

"You didn't think her taking and torturing you was a trap for me?" Sam eyes his brother knowingly.

"Guess some things don't change," Dean comments quietly.

"And she knew that," Sam nods. "So, she got to both of us and that left Lou with Sammy. Lou made sure to stay hidden as it's the only thing she could do on her own with a kid. After a while… sounds like Lou lost her mind. Hard to tell. Once Sammy hit seventeen he was hunting on his own and Lou isn't mentioned much. Just a couple times here and there when Sammy would visit her. He'd say something like, 'Lou's still lost it' or "Aunt Lou isn't getting any better.' She just kinda… gave up."

"Doesn't sound like Lou," Dean says with certainty. "She wouldn't let Sammy deal with all this on his own."

"Dean, her demonic sister killed her husband," Sam points out the bleakness of Lou's future. "Hell, I'd lose my shit if that happened to me."

Again, Dean says nothing. He just looks at Sammy in the back seat sleeping. He looks like a young twenty year old kid… unlike the world-worn man he appeared to be when he arrived in their time. It's now clear to him how old Sammy really is, much older than his license claims… if he even has a real, legitimate license. He had his childhood stolen, just like his father did.

"Basically… it's Sammy versus all of Hell," Sam exhales hard with the very idea. "He's just… going it alone at this point. Going against his own mother."

It's then that Sam realizes the Impala is pulling over to the side of the road. When the wheels come to a stop, Sam just stares at his big brother and waits while he rubs at his face. Head hung, brow wrinkled, Dean looks up and meets Sam's eyes. He's falling apart on the inside.

"We'll fix it," Sam promises him before he can air a single concern.

"What if we can't?" Dean plays a little Devil's advocate.

"We'll fix it," Sam repeats, his voice stern and sure this time. "What other choice do we have? We won't let this happen to Lizzy. We owe her how many times over, man? And to know that we failed her? No fucking way. We'll fix this, Dean."

"He can't grow up like this," Dean's voice whispers quietly, his tone unsteady as his jaw clenches. "Sam, he can't. This is everything I said I'd never let happen to him."

"We won't let this happen," Sam promises his brother. "Sammy won't know any of this crap. He'll grow up just a kid, going to school and college. He'll have a house and a life. Dean, I swear."

Dean nods once and washes a very shaky hand down his face. "We gotta stay away from her." He won't say the name Lizzy. That thing that came after his son was _not_ his wife. That was _not_ Lizzy.

"Which is why we're headed to grab everyone and go underground," Sam reminds him.

"Yeah. But we gotta ward the place with the strongest shit we got…."

"And that's why Sammy grabbed the Men of Letters book chronicling every protective symbol and talisman they knew of. I saw him shove it into his bag before we escaped."

"Good," Dean relaxes just a touch at that. He then glances at Sammy in the mirror again. "He's a smart kid."

"Did you think he wouldn't be?" Sam partially smirks as he looks over the bench seat to see the stuffed backpack by Sammy's feet. "You drive and I'll start looking through the book for anything that might keep a Knight of Hell away. We need to get to work the second we get there."

Dean nods again as Sam grabs Sammy's entire backpack to look through while the kid naps. As Dean remains still and quiet, Sam realizes something is still wrong.

"What?" Sam asks him, unsure why they aren't moving towards their family again yet.

"I can't hurt her," Dean admits, looking at Sam with terrified, little boy eyes. "If she finds us… I can't…."

"She won't find us, not until we're ready," Sam says in a way that makes Dean trust him. "We got this. We always do."

"But it's L," Dean reminds him. "You know I can't…."

"That's why we're gonna try to fix her. Not end her." He points at the wheel. "Drive. We have work to do."

Dean thinks for a split second and reaches for the key still in the ignition. He turns the engine over to restart the car and then pulls back onto the road, trying his best to focus on the asphalt and the soft sounds of Zeppelin playing over the tape deck instead of the image of a black eyed Lizzy burned into his mind.

* * *

Address given when he called Lizzy an hour out of the Massachusetts border, Dean pulls the Impala up to the old farmhouse she directed them to. It's seen better days, the white paint peeling and roof sagging a touch in the middle, but it's remote and on the outskirts of a western Massachusetts town.

"This place is a dump," Sammy comments as he gets out of the backseat, looking up at the old house.

"Yeah, it's not great," Dean replies to it, just as disappointed. "But hey, if L says it's safe then it's safe. And it's all we got in a pinch."

"Still better than any of the places I've been squatting in the past… uh… well, long while," Sammy spills as he slings his backpack over his shoulder, a half smirk on his face. "Call it the Four Seasons if it has heat and running water."

Dean keeps his mouth shut on the statement despite his heart breaking a little more with it.

Sam pulls a bag from the trunk once Dean unlocks it. It's the bag they always have packed and stowed, just in case. Basic clothes and toiletries. Dean then grabs an empty duffle and starts loading it up with salt, rosary beads, guns, ammo, knives, and anything else that might be helpful to them.

All the while, Sammy just stands in place, looking around the sprawling farmland around them. He doesn't make a single step towards the front door as he can't find it in him to do so.

When Dean slams the trunk shut, he locks it up and slings the bag over the same should Sammy has his. At that moment he watches as his wife opens the front door.

"Took you long enough!" she smiles despite the danger she knows they all must be in. She has Sammy, the three year old boy, on her hip as she makes her way down the front wrap-around porch steps so therefore she keeps her attitude light and happy. They still have yet to let him know that anything ugly or dangerous exists and they want to keep that going.

"Watch it, woman," Dean jokes back but doesn't miss the way Sammy sharply turns his back to her the second he sees her and closes his eyes.

Shoulders tense, Sammy tries to keep his breathing easy and regulated. The sight of his mother, his real mother, walking down those step with the younger version of him in her arms… it's too much. It's too real and it's everything he's lost in his life that he misses and needs most.

Making a pit stop on his way to Lizzy, Dean drops a shoulder on Sammy's shaking one. "Are you okay? If you're not, I'd get it…."

"Need a minute," Sammy just says to the ground below his boots before closing his eyes again.

"I'll get her inside and you come in when you can," Dean pats his shoulder and walks for his wife. He hugs her tightly, mindful of his young son in her hold, and sighs heavily. After the confrontation with his future demonic wife it's very good to see her as her normal self.

"Ugh… little tight," Lizzy jokes with his harsh hold on her.

"Sorry," Dean smiles and tries to hide his concerns. He pulls back and reaches for his small son, the little boy's arms reaching for him immediately. "What's going on, dude?"

"Hi, daddy!" Sammy smile wide. "We see-ed the ocean!"

"Nice! You see any sharks?"

"Dean!" Lizzy gets mad right away, her son having been scared of sharks ever since her husband let the kid watch Shark Week shows with him. "We worked on the whole shark thing for days. He's finally over it…."

"There no sharks there, daddy," Sammy says in a sure voice. "Only fish."

"That's good. I'd hate for you to get your toes eaten!" Dean jokes and grabs his son's bare, dangling foot and tickles it.

Sammy howls with laughter as the future version of himself still stands with his back to them, trying not to lose it. He wipes his cheek once very hastily as a single tear drops, the whole thing making him long for what could have been if it weren't for Lizzy's one very bad decision. This used to be them. This was beautiful. This should have been his life.

"Hey, Lizzy," Sam smiles and hugs her, kissing her cheek in greeting. She does the same back.

"Hey Sam." She then nods to the stranger that got out of their car with them but hasn't so much as come closer to say hello. "Who's that?"

"Uh… hunter," Dean spits out quickly. "He's the one that tipped us off about something coming our way. He's gonna work with us on this one."

"Weird. Okay," Lizzy nods, trusting the brothers' judgment. "You guys hungry? Lou's finishing up dinner."

"We need to get to work first," Dean tells her. "We gotta get this place safe, like, yesterday."

Lizzy's face darkens. She presses hands over Sammy young ears before asking, "What the fuck is going on, Dean?"

"Let's go inside," Dean nods to the house and starts walking.

Getting a terrible feeling in her stomach, Lizzy sighs. She looks to the stranger, his back still turned. "Hey, uh…."

"Give him a minute," Sam suggests lightly, bringing an arm around Lizzy's shoulders and guiding her to the front door. "He's had a rough run."

"What the hell is happening, Sam?" Lizzy asks quietly, but not quietly enough for older Sammy to hear.

He listens to the excuses his uncle gives as they all disappear into the farmhouse. Once gone, Sammy lets out a deep breath he's been holding. Seeing his mother again was… numbingly terrifying. And impossible. How the hell is he supposed to do this? Be close to her and not fear her after decades of horror created by the demonic version of her?

"Get your shit together, Winchester," Sammy finally says to himself and shakes out his body. He has to do this. He came back for this reason, to save his future and his mom. Standing in a dirt driveway isn't going to help anything, especially since that Knight of Hell is absolutely on her way. They have work to.

Breathing in once, holding it for ten second, Sammy exhales and starts walking for the house. He doesn't let himself stop to rethink. If he did he'd probably dive into his dad's car and ditch out of fear. He plows through the front door and stands there, stopping them several pairs of eyes land on him as they sit around the dilapidated living room on the old, warped furniture.

"Uh… so, this is… Dave," Dean tells the room, lying. "He's the one that's helping us out…."

"His name's not Dave," Lizzy very quickly calls her husband out as her eyes are glued to the young man standing in the doorway.

No one speaks as she slowly stands up, eyes never leaving the newcomer's face.

"I know who you are," Lizzy says, certain as she walks for him. When she's standing right in front of him, looking up to his six-plus foot height, taking in the green eyes and the dark, short, and styled hair… she knows in her heart who she's looking at. He looks like her husband and in her heart she can feel that he's hers. Her eyes water over. "Oh, Sammy… baby, why are you here?"

And Sammy breaks. Of course she knew. She needed one look at him and she knew. He's her son and she was always the best, most loving, most devoted mother. A mom always knows their child.

Chin quivering once, Sammy's voice cracks. "Mom," he barely gets out before his eyes spill over. He nearly slams into her and wraps her up in his arms, pulling her in tightly as he loses it.

Heart pounding with fear, Lizzy holds him close, one hand patting his hair like she does to the young version of him that she knows so well. Heart shattering for what she's seeing of her little boy, she struggles to breathe through the fear and pain she's feeling. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"I missed you so much," is all Sammy can get out, his face turned into her hair as he stands there and cries, feeling something he hasn't in twenty years. He didn't want this to be the way it happened, but he can't help himself. He needs his mother so much. The big, badass hunter with a reputation that could shatter his dad and uncle… needs his mom more than anything.

Lizzy now crying right along with him, she just holds on tighter. "Baby, it's okay. Whatever it is… it's okay…." She doesn't know if it's true of not, but she wants to make it better. No matter his age, she just wants the best for her boy.

Sammy has so much to say, so much to make up for… but he can't. Instead he takes the moment to be that little boy he once was and never got to be for long and hangs onto his mother, getting the comfort he so desperately needs.


	13. This is Heavy (Part 4)

"This makes no sense whatsoever," Lizzy dismisses everything as they all sit together around the kitchen table in the old farmhouse. "No. That _can't_ be what happens to us."

Sammy's head is still hung a little low, as it has been the entire confession. Telling his mother about the major mistake she makes that become the possible ending of the world is probably the hardest thing he's ever done… and considering his life is just a series of doing things that are incredible hard to do that's not good.

"It's what he says happens," Dean reminds his wife that can't seem to stop staring at the older version of their child. "And I saw what came into the bunker after him. It was a black-eyed bitch hell-bent on killing all three of us and, Liz… she looked an awful lot like you."

"But you're sure it's me and not just a demon riding my ass," Lizzy tries once more to get Sammy to give her a different answer.

"I'm sure, mom," Sammy quietly answers, barely looking at her as the guilt hits.

"This is insane," Lou shakes her head and sits back in her chair, sighing loudly. "No fucking way." Sam grabs her hand under the table from where they sit together, knowing she's also having a difficult time accepting this whole thing. Lou is stubborn and determined. Finding out she gives up on her own nephew in the future due to how bleak and terrible it is… this is not settling with her at all.

"I know how this has to sound," Sammy finally looks up a little, scanning the room at the younger-than-he's-used-to faces. Collectively there's a whole lot less wrinkles and gray hair. They look so young and vibrant. When he last saw his dad, he was a disaster. His uncle Sam was a panicked mess heading out to find his brother. And Lou… couldn't even form coherent thoughts as she wasted away in a nursing home once her brain broke on her. His family is a family again. They're alive and well again.

"Insane," Lizzy comments with upset.

Sammy then looks at his mother for the first time in a long stretch during this miserable confessional. "I never wanted it to come to this. I never wanted to have to come here and tell you all this. I knew it'd break your heart."

Lizzy's face wrinkles. "You're worried about _me_? I'm the reason all this shit happened!"

"Mommy, you don't say that!" Sammy, the young kid sitting in his father's lap, chimes in.

"Sorry baby," Lizzy forces a smile at his innocent little face. "You always try to help me out, don't you?"

"Yeah," child-Sammy answers as Lizzy glances to her adult son, making sure he understands that she's speaking of him at all ages.

Adult-Sammy just smiles. "I've never really blamed you for this, mom." Mom. It still feels so good to say.

"How could you not?" she needs to know.

"Well… you were just trying to do the right thing," Sammy shrugs. "Back when you took on the Mark you had no idea what it would do to you. Your focus was on killing Abaddon before she worked up enough power to really destroy the planet… and destroy any hope you had for a future for your son."

"But isn't that what I ended up doing anyways once the Mark changes me?"

"Yeah, but… at least as a demon you had a plan. Abaddon was just havoc and pain. You were still you to an extent, you were still smart and you planned ahead. Even as a demon you were still… you. Kinda," Sammy explains. "I mean, you had ton of chances to kill me… but you never did. Even back at the bunker I doubted that you were actually going to kill me. I'm your weak spot."

"You always were," Lizzy grins a little, patting his handsome face twice on the cheek. Sammy smiles back, looking ready to break once more, before she keeps going. "So, what now? I assume she's on her way here." Referring to herself as she… weird.

"She definitely is. She's pissed that I came back to change things. Clearly, she doesn't want that, so we need to stay hidden until I can reach out to someone to help me break the curse."

"Curse?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, the Mark is just a curse. All curses can be broken."

"Breaking a curse. We can do that. Let's move," Dean smiles, standing up and bringing young Sammy with him, settling him on his hip.

"First, we need to completely disappear," Sammy reminds. "Everyone keep the hex bag I gave you on you at all times. Don't lose it!"

Dean checks that little Sammy has his around his neck, his hex bag on a cord so it's easier for him to keep it on him.

"Second, I need you all locked down while I go grab an expert that can help us."

"No way," Dean immediately says with a don't-fuck-with-me voice.

"No way?" Sammy asks.

"Yeah, no way. Not alone."

"Dad…"

"Sammy, no!" Dean puts his foot down. "I don't care if you're three years old or ninety with a bad hip. I've seen her and you're _not_ going alone. I'm coming with you."

"Me too," Sam adds in and stands up also, joining his brother in united stubbornness.

"It's not a good idea," Sammy refuses, once more packing his things up into his canvas backpack. "Anything happens to you guys then the whole future could be rewritten."

"Well, too fucking bad," Sam speaks up easily, completely with Dean in their need to not sit by and let their youngest member of the family do everything on his own. "The future doesn't sound all that great anyways."

"Yeah, and we tend to get out of sticky situations relatively alive," Dean smirks at his brother.

"Until the day that you didn't," Sammy strongly interrupts them.

"According to the future, that's not for a few more years. We'll be okay," Sam assures despite not really being able to.

Shaking his head with disbelief, Sammy works past it. He knows it's never worth fighting a Winchester man once their mind is made up. The only thing worse than a Winchester man, though…?

"Fuck that!" Lizzy stands up quickly. "We're all going! I'm not letting my son leave without a whole army behind him."

A Winchester woman.

"Jesus!" Sammy yells with exasperation. "First of all, enough with the swearing in front of little me. I have the worst gutter mouth ever. Let's just change that in the future, huh?"

"Don't deflect!" Lizzy scolds, knowing that age old tactic they've all used before. "You're not going alone."

"Fine. Then we compromise," Sammy speaks loudly, hoping to have everyone's attention. "Dad and Uncle Sam, you come with me. Mom and Aunt Lou, you stay with… well, me. Little me. You protect Sammy and find somewhere to hide out. If she gets to me now then… what's the point of all this anyways, right?"

Clenching her jaw for a moment, Lizzy sighs with defeat. Lou can see how hard it is for Lizzy to accept this so she steps in for her, her phone out as she had been searching for hiding spots already. "There's an abandoned elementary school just around the corner. They have an old bomb shelter from the fifties. We're go there, ward it up, lock down." Lou looks at her sister, waiting for an agreement. Lizzy nods once, eyes always on her future son with worry.

Sammy's shoulders drop and he breathes out, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Louie. And mom. I know you wanna come with so… thank you for staying behind."

"You get killed and I'll never forgive myself, you know that," Lizzy points out.

Sammy smiles with pure love. "I know." It just felt so nice to hear her care so damn much again.

"Alright. This is too heavy. I'm calling Cass. He might know what else we can do," Lizzy mentions, pulling out her phone from her back pocket.

"No!" Sammy shakes his head, pointing at her. "Don't do that!"

"Uh… why?" Lizzy asks, very confused why their angel wouldn't be helpful.

"Because… he's… not available for this." Sammy looks incredibly guilty.

Lizzy gives him a knowing look. "What's wrong with Cass? And how would you know? This isn't your time."

Sammy shakes his head. "I don't have time to explain this one. Just know that… he can't be in on this one. He just can't." Lizzy opens her mouth to respond but Sammy cuts her off. "We ready to get outta here?"

"Yeah. Let's all scatter before any demons catch up…." Dean starts to say as a shadow comes across the doorway of the house.

"Too late," an older man with a white hair and beard along with denim overalls on smiles, black eyes on the full room.

Sammy steps forward, shoulders squared and his temperament calm. "How many of you?"

"Not gonna spoil the surprise like that, Sammy-boy," he grins.

"Alright, well… we're surrounded. Great," Sammy laments. "You looking for a fight or something?"

While Sammy stalls, Dean hands his young son off to his mom. Lizzy then creeps back into a corner while her family stands in front of her.

"Who's that, mommy?" Sammy asks from perched on her hip.

"Shh, sweetie," Lizzy shushes him, holding him tighter and angling his head away from the commotion. She can't let him see anything that's most likely about to go down.

"This place was warded," Lou mentions. "How'd your ass get in?"

"Window in the back. You must have forgotten that one," the demon winks.

"Well, alright then," Sammy calmly says, accepting their current situation for what it is. With one fluid, fast movement, Sammy's arm reaches behind himself and pulls out a knife. He throws it with impressive accuracy, the blade burying itself in the demon's chest. He lights up, orange flashes under his skin, before he collapses dead on the floor.

"Whoa," Dean comments with wide, shocked eyes on his son. His speed, his confidence, his natural ability… impressive. "Nice shot."

"We're gonna need more than a single nice shot," Sam complains, marching for the window. Peeking through broken shutters, he sees the several people, all with black eyes, surrounding the house. "At least a dozen, probably more."

"Arm up," Sammy tells them all as he grabs the knife handle and yanks it from the demon's unmoving body. He stands tall, flips it expertly once, and looks to his family. "Meet me out there to catch the stragglers."

Sammy bolts out the front door, knife in hand, and he's gone.

"Sammy!" Dean yells, horrified. He rushes for the door to go after him.

"Dean! You need a weapon!" Sam shouts to stop him, rushing for the duffle bag they brought in. He grabs up the couple of sawed-offs they have, preloaded with salt rounds, and tosses one to Lou. He then hands Dean an angel blade and they sprint for the door to back Sammy up while Lizzy stays inside with the younger Sammy.

The second Dean hits the front porch, Sam and Lou right behind him, they're blinded by a massive blue light that flashes through the air surrounding them. They all block their eyes with their arms and can feel the immense force as the pure light blasts through the air.

Once the moment passes, the air around them returning to its still, hot summer humidity, they all look around them.

Roughly fifteen demons lay scattered about, all burnt out from the inside with scorched and empty eye sockets.

"What the hell?" Dean quietly asks, eyes roaming about as he tries to process what he's seeing.

"What was that?" Sam asks, shocked and wide eyes also darting around.

"Sammy!" Lou yells and points to the middle of the front yard.

All three see the young man on his knees on the grass, his head hung with exhaustion as he's in the middle of the blast zone.

"Sammy!" Dean calls his name, racing for him. The second he gets close he dives for the ground, grabbing Sammy's face and lifting it to look at him. His eyes are closed and he's completely drained. "Sammy! Say something! Sammy!"

"Relax… dad," Sammy quietly says, a tiny smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He inhales deeply. "It's all good now."

"What was that?" Dean asks him, not letting go of his face as he searches Sammy's form, looking for injury.

"Weapon," Sammy tells him, still breathing deeply and trying to regain his strength. "Blows all demons away within an immediate radius. Pretty fucking neat, huh?" He grins, trying to relax his father.

"Neat!?" he asks with fear. "You look wrecked."

"Gotta… tap my soul for it," Sammy vaguely explains. "I'll be fine. Just get me into the car and let's go. I'll be good in about an hour. We gotta go. They know where we are."

"Dude, I don't think…."

"Dad! Let's go!" Sammy shouts with annoyance, attempting to stand up on his own but failing. Dean catches him as he falls. "I'm leaving with or without you."

"Fine," Dean gives in and looks to his brother. "Sam, get him to the car."

Together they help Sammy walk for the Impala and put him into the backseat. By then Lou, Lizzy, and little Sammy are standing on the porch together.

"We're leaving," Sam tells them while Dean starts the car. Lou hands him their bags and Sammy's backpack he arrived with. "Thanks. Keep your phones on. Head for the school and ward up."

"We will," Lou nods. Sam leans down and gives her a very quick kiss on the lips before sprinting for the car.

As Sam gets in, Lizzy and Dean make eye contact.

"Watch him!" Lizzy yells to her husband, speaking about their son from the future.

"Same. Get gone!" Dean yells back and he pulls out of the long gravel driveway, disappearing into the night.

"Come on," Lou says to her sister, already walking for their own car. She's ready to get the hell out of their if that was just the first wave of demons coming for them.

"Louie…."

Lou stops and turns around, seeing Lizzy scan the front yard and the damage done.

"What the hell happened out here?"

"Sammy said he had some weapon or something…."

"Look," Lizzy points to the middle of the circle of dead demons. In the center of the blast zone, right where Sammy was knelt, there's a large burn mark in the grass extending out the sides.

Walking slowly over to the odd shape, when she gets closer she can make out what it is. Her heart drops with fear.

When Lou comes to stand next to her she sees it also.

The blackened, burnt grass on either side of where Sammy had been make out the shape of very distinct, very large angel wings.

"You seeing that?" Lizzy asks with too much fear.

Nodding, Lou answers. "Yeah."

"What… what the fuck does that mean?" Lizzy wonders, looking at her little boy in her arms and back at the clear angel wings on the ground.

"I… uh, I don't know," Lou admits with serious concern.

"Did he tap into an angel's grace or something?" Lizzy continues to panic, staring at the scorch marks. "Because… you don't think the Nephilim line in him… he didn't do that himself. Right?"

A rock of dread in her stomach, Lou decides quickly that it's best to lie right now. "No way. That's nuts. But you heard what Sammy said. We need to go. We can ask him about this later."

Lizzy nods, peering at the burned outline of angel wings, they are very clearly angel wings, before walking for their car in the gravel driveway. No time to overthink about it right now.

* * *

 **I apologize again for how long it takes for updates. I know I've lost some readers. Totally sucks. But hey, gotta do what I gotta do, right? Please hang in there!**


	14. This is Heavy (Part 5)

"What the hell are we doing here?" Dean asks, looking up at the old, immaculate hotel on 55th Street in New York City.

"Getting our help," Sammy explain quickly, backpack still slung over his shoulder as he peers into the front doors of the St. Regis Hotel. "A specialist. She's in there."

"She?" Sam questions.

"Yeah. Her name's Rowena," Sammy says, the disdain in his voice obvious.

"Rowena?" Dean echoes with confused dislike. "What the hell kinda name is that?"

"It was popular in the seventeenth century," Sammy remarks offhandedly, eyes still observing the building while internally planning. The way he says it makes it clear he's a wealth of information and that he's got a bit of his uncle, Sam, in him. "I'm gonna go out back and look for another way in. You guys take the front."

"Whoa!" Dean stops him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back when he tries to walk away. "Alone?"

"Dad…."

"Don't _dad_ me," Dean bitches right away, falling into the role of father-with-an-adult-son all too easily. "If this chick can help us with a knight of Hell then I'm assuming she's pretty powerful."

"She is." Sammy shrugs.

"So, maybe going in alone wouldn't be such a good idea," Sam adds in, backing Dean up as usual.

Sammy sighs. He's getting sick of this. "Guys, look… you're good at what you do. Probably the best for your time. But things have changed in the past twenty years. I know a whole lot more than you both do. It's not a diss on you. It's just the facts. I can handle this alone."

"Sammy…."

"Don't _Sammy_ me," Sammy smirks at his dad. "You saw what I did to that hoard of demons at the farmhouse. That was nothing. I'm fine. You two watch each other's' backs and I'll catch up to you."

Again, Sammy makes a move to leave but he's stopped.

"Wait," Sam rolls his eyes a bit as he side-steps Sammy and blocks him. "You mind sharing the plan first?"

Nodding, Sammy pauses. "We just need to talk to her."

"You want us to just tell some rich bitch in a five-star joint that we need her help killing a Knight of Hell?" Dean questions with doubt. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll go well."

"Stop… not kill," Sammy says while looking away from his family.

"You think we can save Lizzy still?" Sam asks his nephew.

Sammy doesn't answer. He knows the chances are slim but he has to hope. He has to or else this whole thing has been for nothing to him personally.

"There's a good chance that we're not gonna be able to save Lizzy," Sam spells it out, looking at Dean also. "We all need to understand that."

Neither answer.

"Guys. We need to do what we have to…."

"She's all I got left!" Sammy reminds his uncle. "All I got left is saving mom and… bringing her home." His voice grows quiet at the end, the emotions of everything still strong and crippling.

The Sam's have a stare-off for a moment before the elder speaks up. "We will try to save her. Try. There's no promise that it can happen though and you both need to be prepared for however this thing goes down." He isn't okay with it himself but someone needs to focus and accept fate.

Sammy can't deal with this now. "Whatever. She's in room 729. Meet me up there." He takes off running down the side alley.

"Great," Dean laments, looking around the busy New York streets and then back into the posh hotel lobby. He washes a hand down his face in frustration.

"So… what? We just walk in and head to the room?" Sam asks out loud what he's wondering.

"Yeah, and knock on the door and say, 'hey, we need your help with a Knight of Hell whoever-you-are'," Dean complains. "I mean, I guess."

Sam nods, feeling uncomfortable with this plan already. He then observes the people moving about in the upscale lobby and then looks down at himself. A hand pressed to the breast pocket of his torn, old canvas jacket and he knows this won't work. "We can't just walk in there."

"Why not?" Dean wonders.

"Look at us. We'd stick out like…."

"A hooker at a convent," Dean finishes for him. "Damn it. Fed suits?"

"Are they in the trunk?" Sam asks.

"Never took 'em out from the last case."

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

Suits on, Dean and Sam walk into the lobby with confidence. Their dad always taught them that if you act like you belong there, then you belong there. It's how a hunter fits in wherever the case takes them.

No one spares them a second look that they notice so they easily make their way to the lobby elevators. Pushing the up arrow, they stand and wait. Neither speak. They went over what they could at the car while changing. They're just going to pretext the specialist like they always do, nothing new.

Doors opening, they get into the elevator. Sam politely holds the door for two women running in their heels towards them and they get in.

"Thanks," the dark-haired woman, dressed in a couture dress and mink coat, tells him. She looks up at his height and smiles wider when she sees his face.

"Welcome," Sam nods once and steps back. The two women stand side by side, facing the gold reflective doors, the brothers behind them.

When the bell rings, indicating they elevator car has hit the seventh floor, the doors slide open. Dean smiles at the upper-class women.

"Excuse us," he winks and steps past them when they make room. Sam follows.

They hear the doors close behind them as they make their way down the long hall. Looking at the numbers on the room doors as they pass, Sam points ahead. "729 should be right up there."

The second they get to the door hit. The invisible force blows them into the hallway wall opposite room number 729. Backs slamming hard into the solid surface, both groan with pain as they remain pinned there.

"And where do you two think you're going?" they hear a feminine voice ask. Turning to the side, they see the two women from the elevator walking casually towards them.

"Ugh," Sam exhales hard as he tries to overcome the hit. "A friend."

"In room 729?" the woman with the mink coat asks. "I doubt that."

"We need to speak with her," Dean explains through a struggling voice, still pinned to the wall. "We need her help."

After a quick beat of silence both women start to laugh.

"Help you?" mink coat giggles patronizingly. "Rowena doesn't just help _men_."

"But… she's a specialist…" Sam tries to explain as he and Dean start to get very concerned about their situation but gets cut off.

"You could say that," one of the women nods as she waves her hand through the air.

Dean and Sam are let free, both released from the force keeping them against the wall.

Mink coat walks for room 729 and turns the doorknob. She pushes the door open and grins.

"Come on in, lads," a lovely voice, thick with a Scottish accent, calls out from inside. "Let me see who it is that came looking for me."

With wrinkled brows and confusion in their expressions, Sam and Dean look to one another before walking slowly and cautiously to the door.

The ornate room, the kind of room that neither Winchester assumed they'd ever step foot into, is huge with multiple rooms. Sitting on the upholstered couch, classical music softly playing in the background, is a petite red-headed woman. Her long, curled hair is half the size of her. The long, dark blue dress with long sleeves that hugs her perfectly looks expensive. The casual way she sips her tea, the china and sterling tea set places on the coffee table for her, makes her look like she absolutely belongs within the high society situation she's in.

"Well," she smiles wide, her lined eyes taking in the two men in front of her. "Aren't you two just the dapper pair. A girl could feel down right special getting a visit from the likes of you two."

"Are you Rowena?" Dean asks, jeebs running down his spine. This whole thing is jacked. It's unsettling as hell and just from the vibe he gets from Sam next to him he knows he's not alone in thinking it.

"Ah, you've heard of me," she smiles a little wider. "I'm flattered."

"We were sent here to ask for your help," Sam gets right down to it, hoping for a good outcome but not exactly expecting it.

"My word, the confidence on this one," she says with impressed glee as she stands up and walks a little closer. "What makes you think I want to help you, hm?"

Neither know exactly what to say to that.

"Boys, I'm guessing you must not know who I am since you're just walking in here like you aren't in the presence of greatness." Rowena's smile is proud yet kind… but the feeling she's giving off is frightening. "Who is it that told you to come and so rudely ask for my assistance?"

Again, they both say silent.

"I think we're going to have to try that one again, yes?" she asks lightly. She says something in a language the hunters have never heard before and in a blink, they're invisibly yanked up to the ceiling, once more having their backs slam into a hard, flat surface.

Suspended in the air, pinned to the ceiling, Dean's heart rate soars. Flashes of his mother appear in his mind and the sheer fright nearly topples him before he can regain control.

"Now, the last men I had up on the ceiling of my hotel room… well, let's just say they didn't walk out on their own two feet," Rowena tells them, her voice never straying from the lighthearted tone she's had the entire time. Her eyes darken. "Who sent you to me?"

"I did."

The whole room turns to look at whoever just walked in.

Sammy stands in the doorway, grinning. He holds a rounded, gold sphere in his hand, it resting in his palm, and he speaks a few words. Once again, the language sounds unfamiliar to the hunters. The sphere lights up and a blue glow envelopes the room. A sound, high pitched and almost piecing, emanates from the weapon.

Immediately everything stops. The force holding Sam and Dean to the ceiling disappears and the two fall from the high height, landing on their stomachs with groans of pain.

"What… what is that _thing_!?" Rowena yells out over the sound, her feet glued in place.

Sammy speaks a few more foreign words and the sphere stops. The room is set back to its calm previous state.

"It's the future of witch hunting," Sammy grins wide, pulling his backpack from behind him and stowing the item away. He them pulls out a contraption that looks intimidating as all hell.

"Witch!?" Dean tries to shout over the pain in his ribs.

"She's a friggin' witch?" Sam follows up with, huffing as he's trying to catch his breath after the wind has been knocked out of him.

"Yep… the best in the world, actually," Sammy answers, walking for Rowena triumphantly with a little bounce in his step.

"It's always nice to be appreciated," Rowena answers with a little sarcasm. She sees the contraption in his hand. The metal loop with terrifying spikes makes her nauseous with fear. "You go and get that away from me." She points at it.

Sammy just grins devilishly.

"I don't know who you are but trust me, laddie. You don't want to be on my bad side," she warns strongly. "You put that on me and the second I'm free you will wish for death!"

"Eh, I think I'll be fine," Sammy brushes it off and brings the loop over her head, locking it in place around her neck. "Comfy?"

"Screw you," Rowena spits out with eyes glaring with hatred at him.

"Hm, you know, with the witch catcher on… I could make you do that," Sammy gives her a snide warning.

"Pervert!" Rowena yells at him.

"Okay…" Dean huffs out, slowly getting to his feet as the sharp pain in his side flairs up. Sam follows him. They both look at what's happening. Two hench-witches frozen in place and one with a medieval device around her neck. "What the hell is going on here? She's a witch?"

"Former head of the Grand Coven," Sammy nods with pride. "She's the real deal. Real magic. Real power."

"And you've just put a leash on a great white, you wee little man," Rowena nearly growls.

"Oh, relax," Sammy rolls his eyes, walking away from her. He pulls out an old handgun, one that makes Dean do a double take. It's his. The formally shining silver metal is now tarnished but he'd know the unique carvings and ivory handle of his best and most trusted weapon anywhere. Time travel sucks. "And trust me… there ain't nothing wee about me." He winks at Rowena.

"Oh surprise, surprise. A man bragging about the hidden talents in his pants," Rowena bitches. "I'd bet my weight in gold that you have nothing to write home about down there…."

"Cluck like a chicken," Sammy asks with a gleeful tone.

They all watch as Rowena starts to make chicken sounds every time she tries to talk.

"Ha! It works!" Sammy delights when smiling at his dad and uncle.

They glare back.

"Oh, come on!" Sammy gets upset. "You have to admit, that's cool as shit." He points at Rowena's clucking face, it staring Sammy down with pure hatred.

Dean considers it for a second. "Huh. It is pretty cool," he admits, huffing a quick laugh before groaning in pain, his ribs killing him.

"They broken?" Sam quietly asks next to him.

"At least one," Dean nods, bummed out by his luck.

Rowena's voice starts clucking again as she attempts to speak to them in a panic.

"Oh, my God! Shut up!" Sammy annoys to her. Rowena tries to yell something back at him but her voice is gone. Just her mouth moves, no sound produced. "Shit. The witch catcher actually works. Pick your nose."

Rowena glares with fury at him as she tries to fight against her own body. No matter how hard she tries her hand, index finger extended, comes to her face. She inserts her finger in her nose.

"Ha! Awesome," Sammy cracks up.

"What, we came all this way to piss off a grand coven witch by making her a puppet?" Sam asks, getting impatient. "What's the point of all this?"

"The puppet thing is just a bonus," Sammy assures him, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. "We need her to deal with the knight of hell."

Rowena's eye bug out of her head with fear. She starts shaking her head no back and forth violently with terror when she hears knight of hell.

"Sorry, Glinda… but we need you," Sammy tells her, not willing to let her try and dissuade him. "Alright, ready to go?"

Dean's appalled as he looks at his grown son's grinning face. "You sent us in here as a distraction."

Sammy's grin becomes a patronizing one as he rolls his eyes. "No shit, Sherlock. Needed to catch her off guard or else catching her wasn't gonna happen."

"I broke a rib!" Dean yells, wincing with the sharp stab.

Sammy sighs impatiently and marches for his dad. He presses a hand into his side to check.

"Ow!" Dean gets pissed at the intrusion.

"Just one. Not that bad a break either. You'll live." Sammy walks back to Rowena and grabs the leather length attached to the catcher, using it like a leash for his captor. "You guys get the car and meet me out back. Go quick."

"What about them?" Sam asks, pointing to the two witches still standing stock still by the doorway.

Sammy glances at them, having forgotten about them. "Oh, yeah." He then without issue raises his handgun and fires twice, hitting each witch in the forehead with dead accuracy. The two dead bodies hit the floor and he nods, tucking his gun into the back of his jeans.

Dean and Sam stand horrified by what they just saw.

"Okay, problem solved. Go get the car!" Sammy points at them and heads for the door. "Come on, bitch."

Watching Sammy yank Rowena out of the hotel room, their feet just missing the growing pools of blood on the carpet, Dean and Sam are stunned. The witches look like people, hell… they are people. And Sammy wasted them without a care, a thought, or even a single emotion. It was all too easy.

"We gotta go," Sam quietly says, starting for the door as he knows they do need to move quickly before authorities are called in.

And Dean follows along, holding his side and trying to process who his son becomes in the future…

He's everything he hoped Sammy wouldn't be.

* * *

"He just shot 'em," Dean says with serious, deep-rooted concern and a touch of fright as he pulls out of the parking garage they stowed the Impala in. "Didn't even think about it."

Sam shrugs, making a face. "They were witches…."

"You and I both know witches ain't typical monsters," Dean tells his brother. "They're human."

"Using magic for evil," Sam plays back despite feeling the same concern and fear over Sammy as Dean is.

Dean sighs. "It's not just that they were witches, Sam," Dean complains, swiping his credit card at the pay station, then watching the arm move up and let them out onto the streets of New York City again. "You saw him. He didn't flinch. He didn't… he wasn't affected at all."

"Honestly? It was a little like me… when I was soulless," Sam concurs completely. He's seen that look of cold, uncaring determination. Sammy didn't feel a thing when he killed the two henchwomen. It wasn't a problem or a burden to him. It was nothing. Like eating a sandwich or farting. It's all the same.

"God, you don't think…"

"No way. He has a soul," Sam assures his brother.

"How can you be sure?" Dean airs his inner fear.

"You saw him when he saw Lizzy," Sam quickly explains as they head down a side street towards the hotel alley. "He was an emotional mess. He has a soul. He feels things… just not _all_ things." He shrugs.

Turning a corner, they both see Sammy standing by a back door, a dumpster to his left, with a pissed off witch behind him. The witch-catcher is still on. So is her face a pure anger.

"God, what the fuck happened to him?" Dean wonders aloud, not looking for an actual answer as he pulls up and stops the car. He gets that with the history Sammy shared that his son could easily be this uncaring and cold. But still, it's disturbing to see firsthand.

"Get in," Sammy says after opening the passenger side backdoor. He pushes Rowena in like she's an arrested felon, not the most powerful witch on the planet.

"Ugh!" she disgusts when she falls hard into the backseat. "Is that any way to treat a lady?" She scoots over as Sammy shoves his way in next to her.

"Find me a lady and I'll tell ya," he smirks.

Fire in her eyes, Rowena catches Dean's attention in the rearview mirror. "Nice work you done here with this one, dad. Quite the proper manners."

"Shut up, bitch," Dean and Sammy say at the exact same time.

Rowena rolls her eyes. "Well, now I guess I can see why he's such a brute."

"How about you don't talk until I say you can, hm?" Sammy says all smartass.

Trying to speak, Rowena can't. Nothing comes out.

"Awesome," Sammy smiles and sighs. "Okay, let's get back before Lizzy finds them."

Dean shudders. Whether it from the fact that Sammy used his mother's first name or that he's concerned about the knight of hell catching up to his family before they can get back… he's not sure.

"I'm calling to check on them," he tells the groups, pulling out his phone as she starts to drive back to his family in hiding.


	15. This is Heavy (Part 6)

**Long chapter, a lot of action. Hopefully it written well enough to be easily followed. If not, let me know! Hope you all like this one since I dig it!**

* * *

Sitting in an old desk chair, the kind that might have once been quite plush and comfortable but has now seen better days after years of use, Lizzy stares at the wall of janitorial items. Mops, brooms, tools, gloves, and even come cleaning products on shelves sit down there collecting dust. Judging by how thick it is, and the fact that there's a canister of that saw dust crap that was once used to soak up child puke still on in the collection of supplies, no one's been down here in decades. It's stuffy, the air thick with lack of ventilation. This is the last place she'd want to bring Sammy.

But here they are anyways. Stuffed down in some abandoned school's basement with her little Sammy asleep in her arms, his dead weight slowly becoming a burden. She won't let him go, though. No way. Not after today.

Her little boy, the one that is a spitting image of the man she loves more than life itself, is so innocent and small. He's never done a thing wrong outside of the usual childhood acting out. He's sweet and loving, always ready to cuddle with her and Dean on the couch to watch Toy Story or sit at the table and draw pictures for his family.

To think that Sammy grows up to be a cold-blooded hunting machine like his parents is completely crushing her heart. They tried so hard to distance him as much as they could from the world around them, to keep him out of the life, that it's devastating to know how badly they've failed.

And the power adult Sammy wields? Whatever that force was that he's somehow controlling… it's terrifying her to her core.

"I can't believe this is all my fault," Lizzy quietly laments with a sigh and she rubs her eyes with her one semi-free hand.

Lou turns around from her sigil work, small can of paint in her right hand and a paintbrush in her left, to look at her sister. "Nothing's your fault."

"Bullshit," Lizzy shakes her head as she grips her son tighter, the child dead-to-the-world asleep. "Whatever I do in the next few years… everything will be my fault."

"So… we make sure you do the opposite of whatever lead to this," Lou shrugs. "If we know the future, then we can prevent it."

A shaky exhale and Lizzy looks away, not believing that for a second.

"Um… correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you guys already give fate a big fat _fuck you_ once before?" Lou wonders, placing her paint supplies on a work bench and walking closer to Lizzy. She pulls a student-sized chair up to Lizzy and sits, her frame still small enough to make it work.

"But Sammy exists, doesn't he?" Lizzy rebuts. Her son was prophesized and they walked right into that one.

"And you don't regret that for a second so that's a shitty example," Lou dismisses. "But the Apocalypse never happened. You guys did it your way and it never happened."

"Sounds like I make my own apocalypse in the future."

"Exactly. You made _your own_ apocalypse!" Lou smiles, pointing out that Lizzy proved her theory. Her sister frowns back at her. "Look. Fate is like… a guideline. Okay? Not set in stone exactly. Before Sammy goes back to his time we talk to him and find out what the hell happened for real and instead of turn right, we go left."

"That easy, right?" Lizzy half-smiles as she stares at her sister. She then looks down at Sammy's serene face and brushes some hair out of his closed eyes. "This is everything I was always afraid of."

"I know," Lou answers. "Lizard, I know. But like I said, we're not letting this happen. I mean, you think I want my sister gone evil, my nephew gone rogue, and my husband just gone? Sounds pretty shitty to me."

"Plus… you're gonna lose your marbles," Lizzy reminds her.

"Yes. That too. That sucks," Lou cocks an eyebrow and she stands back up. She ruffles Sammy's hair light enough not to wake him. "He's not gonna turn out a hunter. I promise."

"You can't promise me that," Lizzy rebuts.

"I just did," Lou cockily refuses to go back on her word. "I gotta finish warding…"

"Don't bother."

Standing in the middle of the basement is Lizzy, Knight of Hell.

"You guys suck at warding, you know that?" evil Lizzy asks them as she looks around in disappointment. "I'm not just a demon, dumbasses. These wards are nothing to me."

Neither speaks. Lizzy stands up out of her chair and backs away a few steps, heading for the open doorway that leads to the stairwell.

"Don't!" the Knight of Hell warns, pointing at Lizzy with a grin. "Stay right there."

"Just let me put Sammy in the car," Lizzy asks of her own evil self, hoping for mercy. "I don't want him to be part of this."

"Guess you shouldn't have had him then, huh?" she responds. "A hunter with a kid. Still blows my mind just how fucking stupid I once was."

"Please…."

"Ugh, stop with the begging," the Knight complains, scolding Lizzy.

"Fine. But you gotta tell me, how the hell did you find us?" Lizzy asks, defiance being her only way to distract as she watches Lou slowly make her silent way to the duffle of weapons sitting on the workbench. She needs to keep the attention on herself.

The Knight grins. "Your son isn't exactly honest with his mother."

Lizzy makes a scared and confused face. "We have hex bags…."

"You have jack shit. Those aren't real hex bags." The Knight laughs. "Plus, _Lizard_ , I'm the worst thing on Earth at the moment. A couple sigils and some salt lines are child's play. Sammy knew that, too. I don't know what he's up to exactly… but he's hanging you three out to dry."

"He wouldn't," Lizzy is sure.

"You have no idea who your son is," evil Lizzy tells her past self. "Enough of this. I want everyone outside. Now."

"And if we don't?"

The Knight of Hell looks at Lizzy with shock. "This may be funhouse-mirror-fucked-up, but I'm not afraid to slash throats here."

"You can't kill me," Lizzy reminds her future self as she watches Lou grab the knife Sammy left them with the promise that it could at least hurt a Knight of Hell bad enough to get away from her. "If you do, then you'd never exist."

"That's true," the Knight nods. "But I can hurt…." She pauses to turn sharply and grab at Lou's wrists as it's raised over her head and ready to strike. "Everyone you love," the Knight grins wide with delight as she twists her grip.

Lou screams with pain as her wrists snaps, the pain shooting up her arm. She drops the blade when she cannot control her grip once her bones break. Without a second wasted, evil Lizzy takes a mighty swing and lands a punch right to Lou's cheek. Her smaller body flies through the air with the harsh force and her back hits the workbench before she crumples to the ground, completely knocked out.

"Louie!" Lizzy shouts, hoping her sister with get up. She doesn't move. "Lou!"

"Mommy?" Sammy wakes with a start after Lou's scream. He looks up to her and sees the panic in his mom's expression and it makes him also panic. "Mommy!?"

"It's okay, baby," Lizzy lies completely and puts a hand to the back of his head. She tries to keep his view on her and not on his injured and knocked out aunt. "Hey, Sammy. Hi, honey."

Sammy looks to his mother, very confused.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she tells him, her arms already shaking in fear as she holds him close. "You wanna go back to sleep?"

"No chance," the Knight of Hell huffs with delight. "Outside. Let's go."

With the sound of his mother's voice behind him, Sammy turns to look out of instinct. When he sees another version of his mother some feet away, his body stiffens with alarm.

"Mommy!?" Sammy starts to scramble in her arms. "Mommy!?"

"It's okay," Lizzy tries to calm him, holding him tighter still. "Sammy, sweetie, look at me."

Sammy scrambles in a panic still.

"Sammy!" Lizzy shouts her son's name, making him lock eyes with her. "It's okay. I'm here. I know this is confusing…."

"Ugh! Blah, blah, blah," the Knight of Hell complains, rolling her eyes. "Outside! Now!"

"Sammy, I promise everything's okay," Lizzy swears to her boy as she starts to walk. She has no plan here and no backup. They couldn't properly ward the place quickly enough. Just the two of them wasn't enough. And this future version of Lizzy worked awfully fast. Suspiciously fast.

On her way to the stairs, Lizzy's phone rings in her back pocket.

"Bet I know who that is," evil Lizzy glees as she reaches into Lizzy's back pocket to grab her ringing phone. "Stay right here," she tells Lizzy as she answers the call. "Hot Shot!" she grins wide into the phone.

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Dean's face pales the moment he hears that voice. It's his wife's voice but he knows instantly it's not her. "Evil bitch."

"Now, is that any way to speak to your wife?"

"You're not my wife," Dean grits out to the Knight of Hell on the other line.

It's then that the sound of his crying son can be heard in the background, his voice sad and scared.

"What did you do!?" Dean demands to know, terrified of what's happening.

"Nothing… yet."

"Shit!" Sammy complains from the backseat of the Impala. Without thought he grabs the phone from his dad and puts it to his ear. He already knows who his father is talking to. "Mom!"

"Ugh, stop calling me that," the Knight of Hell complains. "Seriously, Sammy. I'm not your fucking mom."

"What the hell do you want!?" Sammy gets frustrated. "If you're pissed off then just come find me. Leave them alone."

"See, if I just came after you then it'd JUST be the same old crap. I've come after you before. You've come after me. I'm tired of the dance, kiddo," evil Lizzy tells him. "I know you are, too. I want this over with."

"You're right. I want that, too," Sammy admits.

"Then get your ass back here," she tells him.

"You're not gonna kill them… especially yourself."

"Try me."

The line goes dead.

"Fucking bitch," Sammy mutters, dropping the phone onto the front bench seat between Dean and Sam.

"What just happened!?" Dean fired out with fear. "She found them!?"

"They're safe," Sammy assures him without a shadow of a doubt.

"How the hell do you know that!?" Dean demands to know. "She could just kill them…"

"She won't, dad. Damn," Sammy says with sheer annoyance. "She won't kill mom because she _is_ mom. That would just erase her from existence."

"What about Sammy then?" Dean asks.

"And Lou," Sam adds in, pure concerned fright written all over his expression.

Sammy pauses before saying, "If she wants me there, then she'll wait to do anything else."

"How can you be sure?" Sam keep prying.

"Because if anyone knows her, it's me," Sammy explains plainly. "Lizzy won't kill anyone… not until we get there."

"What!?" Dean panics.

"She would inflict way more pain on us if she killed them in front of us. So… she'll wait."

"Not reassuring!" Dean booms out.

"I know… but that's the truth," Sammy explains away and turns to Rowena. "You know anything about Knights of Hell?"

Rowena nods, still not having been given the permission to speak.

"How about the Mark of Cain?"

Her eyes widen with shock at the mention of it.

"I'll take that as a yes. You can speak now."

She takes a deep breath. "You're a horrible little man."

"And you're a peach," Sammy calmly responds with. "Start talking. Mark of Cain."

"It's a curse. From Lucifer, himself. He had it, he passed it to Cain after he killed his own brother."

"How do we get rid of it?" Sammy asks her.

"I would need a specific powerful tome, one that holds many of the worlds most guarded secrets…."

"You mean this?" Sammy asks, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a volume that's old and very worn.

Rowena inhales with shock at the sight. "Dear boy, how do you have that?" She reaches out for it, needing to feel the binding and ancient parchment under her fingers.

"No touching," Sammy scolds and her hands replace themselves into her lap without her wanting them to.

"What is that?" Sam asks, curiosity running on the ultimate high.

"The Book of the Damned," Sammy and Rowena say at the same time.

"The hell is the Book of the Damned?" Dean wonders.

"It's a compiling of the most powerful, darkest magic… all the worst curses in existence from the beginning of man can be broken and this thing right here? Tells us how," Sammy smirks with pride.

"Okay… but if you've had this all along then why do we need Rowena?" Sam asks.

"She's a witch. Actually, she's _the_ witch," Sammy explains. "I could try and break the curses myself but… I don't possess magic like a centuries old witch that's on the lam for witch crimes. Rowena is going to break the Mark of Cain curse that's on mom."

"I most certainly am not," Rowena huffs with disbelief.

"Uh, yeah you are," Sammy says again. "You'll do as I say as long as that witch catcher is on."

"Dear, dear, stupid boy," Rowena shakes her head with a face full of fury. "You are playing with the kind of fire that will not only burn you but scorch the whole bloody Earth! You do not know what you are dealing with. All magic comes with a price…."

"I don't care," Sammy says easily.

"This is the original curse!" she keeps trying to warn. "The consequences of breaking it could be catastrophic…."

"I don't care!" Sammy tells her with a booming tone. He opens the Book of the Damned to a specific page and plops it on her lap. He then pulls out a printed stack of pages. "Here. I had a friend break the codex and the code the Book of the Damned was written in. You can read it. Learn the ritual and learn it good. When we get there… you're doing it."

"I don't think…."

"Not asking you to think, Red," Sammy brushes her off. "Get going."

Because she's forced to, Rowen gets reading. She'll do as she's told but she knows how poorly this will end.

The cab of the Impala gets quiet for a moment before Sam speaks up. "Uh… Sammy?"

Sammy looks over to his uncle.

"What if Rowena's right?" he asks calmly and quietly, looking to be cautious and unthreatening as Sammy is a force to be reckoned with, one he's not out to piss off. "What if breaking the curse leads to something… really bad. Consequence-wise."

Sammy looks right at his uncle and answers calmly. "Uncle Sam, the world I come from is fucked to hell. Literally. Lizzy has brought Hell on Earth and it's only getting worse every day. Whatever the consequence is… it can't be worse than what she's done. Trust me, this is the only way."

"You could always kill her," Rowena says under her breath.

"No, we can't," Sammy denies.

"Well… we could," Rowena tacks on. "I know of many powerful spells that can topple some of the worst of the worst…."

"No! You're not killing my mom!" Sammy shouts out with pure anger at the witch next to him.

Once more the car goes silent.

Sighing, Sammy continues. "We can save her."

"Without the Mark, she's still a Knight of Hell," Rowena rebuts.

"And I have a plan for that, too. Just shut up and read."

Again, a beat of silence. This time Sam and Dean look to each other, speaking silently of their suspicions.

Dean keeps drive as he starts to realize Sammy's orchestrating this whole thing quite brilliantly and down to the smallest of details. He knows more than he's letting on. He knew when to come back in time, where to find Rowena, what page the spell he needs is on in the extremely powerful book… and he really didn't sound all that surprised that Lizzy, Knight of Hell, found their family as quickly as she did.

"What the fuck are you up to?" Dean asks his adult son, looking at him with pure suspicion in the rearview mirror.

"I'm saving mom…."

Dean starts to pull the car over to the side of the road.

"What are you doing, dad?" Sammy asks, the Impala being put into park once it stops.

Dean gets out of the driver's side of the car, Sam seeing the high level of anger in his brother's face. Sam goes with him, jogging to catch up as Dean throws Sammy's back door open and yanks him out by the jacket.

"Dad! We don't have time!" Sammy yells at him as his back hits the Impala behind him, Dean pinning him there with a forearm to his neck.

"You better start speaking, kiddo," Dean says with stern anger. "What the hell are you up to?"

"I'm saving mom!"

"At what cost!?" Dean pushes him harder.

"I don't get…."

"Sammy, you've been on top of this from the jump," Dean spells it out. "You know where the witch was, you had the book ready, you had a plan! So, now I have to wonder…how far did you plan?"

Sammy stays silent, not getting what he's being asked.

"You seemed awfully calm about Hell Lizzy catching up to our family," Dean tells him how he sees it. "So calm, in fact, that I could swear that was part of your plan, too."

"Are you kidding me?" Sammy acts upset and insulted.

"I don't know, Sammy," Sam speaks up when he's immediately in agreement with Dean's point of view. "Seems pretty likely that you set it up for a Knight of Hell to get to them before we could."

"This really doesn't look good for you," Dean tells him. "Tell me you didn't set them up."

Sammy opens his mouth to lie but thinks twice about it. He looks away, out onto the road that they should be traveling down right now, to weigh his options. Lie and Dean and Sam won't trust him. They know something is off. Tell the truth and they might want to kill him but at least they'll still be helpful.

Shit.

"Mom, Aunt Lou, and little me don't have protection hex bags," Sammy admits. "We do."

Dean closes his eyes for a split second, controlling his rage. He looks at Sammy, waiting for eye contact. When they're locked on to each other, he asks, "What do they have then?"

"Magical beacons," Sammy quietly tells him, feeling like that little kid he used to be, incurring the anger of his father for his wrong doings. "It made them easier to track for demons."

"You did what!?" Dean shouts him his son's face, shoving him into the car with pure fire.

"Why would you do that!?" Sam yells at him from over Dean's shoulder.

"Lizzy won't kill them. And she won't let any other demons kill them either," Sammy explains. "I guarantee it took her all of a couple minutes once she arrived to get some demons on her side to help out. She's that good. And I know she wants me. You heard her back at the bunker. She's out for _my_ blood. I've pissed her off one too many times and she's over it."

"Who's to say she won't just kill you as a kid and erase you off the face of the Earth then!?" Dean starts to really panic. He feels sick. And hot. And like he's going to pass out with the strength of his fear for his family.

"Kid-me didn't do anything wrong. Okay? She knows the difference. Mom never kills just to kill. She's got her own code of demon ethics, or whatever. They're safe. She's waiting for me. And when I get there… we'll be ready. Still have three hours to go before we get there."

The way his father and uncle stare at him as they process everything makes him feel small. Like dirt. He knew this was dangerous and he knew he'd piss his family off… but this is too big to care about that.

"I'm sorry, dad…."

"Shut up!" Dean tells him, letting go of his hold on the kid with one more shove. "We get there and anything, _anything_ has happened to them… I'll kill you myself."

Sam marches around the car as Dean drops in behind the wheel.

"Get in the fucking car!" Dean shouts at his son before yanking the car door shut so hard that the sound echoes off the surrounding tree line.

Sammy listens, exhaling with the confrontation ending. Feeling like scum, he sits in the car and they start moving again. The ride is exceptionally silent for the next hour, the pressure and hatred aimed at Sammy crushing him.

But if he can break the curse on his mother… then everything will be worth it.

* * *

Sitting on the steps outside the abandoned elementary school, Lizzy's arms start to really hurt with her grip on her son. She somehow got him back to sleep after he saw another version of his own mother in the same room as him. She kept him close to her chest, shielding from seeing the Knight of Hell with her face again, and eventually he drifted back off since, when he's with his mother, he feels like all is well, all is safe.

"Can I please just put him in the car?" Lizzy asks her own future demonic self. "He's exhausted and…"

"No fucking way," the Knight denies. "He's the best little bargaining chip there is. He stays."

"It's freezing."

"I'm pretty sure he'll survive."

Lizzy sighs, her arms shaking a little with both fear and overuse. "I don't even know who you are. You used to love him more than anything, you'd do anything for him…."

"Funny what becoming a demon will do to a gal," the Knight smirks at her.

"I look at you and… I don't even see myself in you at all." She shakes her head with sadness for what she becomes. "What a mistake."

"Mistake!?" the Knight laughs at her own image. "Are you kidding? The Mark is a fucking blessing. I'm free! We're free, for the first time since our parents died. My life, it's… perfect."

Lizzy looks at her with confusion. "How can you feel that way?" she questions, so lost. "How can you be happy and free if you don't have a family anymore? You don't have love, or companionship…."

"And I don't need those things," Knight Lizzy grins without a care in the world. "I don't need love and family. All I have are wants and my wants are attainable with the power I have. I don't have to worry and wonder where Dean is all the time, scared to find out if he's alive or not…."

"Because you killed him!" Lizzy gets physically upset, shaking at the idea.

"Exactly why I don't worry anymore. I know where he is. Burning his soul away in Hell with his brother."

Bomb number seven-hundred and forty-five. "What!?" Lizzy asks, shocked.

"Oh, yeah. You think I was letting them just sit pretty in Heaven?" the Knight of Hell scoffs. "The Winchesters will eventually turn. I have my best torturers on them… and sometimes I get my hands dirty to make sure they're on the right track. Few more years of that? I'll have a couple expert demons by my side."

Lizzy stares with horror.

"See? I do what I want. And I enjoy it. Because it's fucking fun," she smiles huge.

All Lizzy can do is just shake her head and press her cheek to her young son's head. Her husband and brother… in Hell. Turning black-eyed. "You're a fucking monster."

"Aw… thanks," she winks back. The Knight of Hell stands a little taller and grins when a loud engine can be heard coming around the corner. "Missed that sound. Ha. It's funny the things you miss once you crush them into a cube."

Lizzy doesn't stand up. They've been outside for hours waiting, just the two of them and a sleeping boy. Her heart starts to hammer faster, not knowing how this is going to go, but however it does she'd rather keep Sammy asleep for as long as possible. He can't figure out what's happening if he isn't awake to experience it.

The Impala stops some several yards away and the engine turns off. The familiar creak of doors opening is heard.

"Took you fuckers long enough. Hit some traffic?" evil Lizzy smirks, watching the three men get out. A woman, Lou's petite height and size, gets pulled out of the car also. "Aw, you brought a friend?"

No one speaks to her in return as they start to move around, plan clearly already in place.

"Silent treatment, huh? Whatever," the Knight shrugs, not affected at all.

Dean walks from the trunk with an armful of occult items as Sam follows, shaking out an alter cloth and covering the Impala's hood with it. He pushes the fact that Lou is nowhere to be seen to the back of his mind for now, though he has a pit in his stomach over her absence.

"Ugh, a witch!?" evil Lizzy complains when she realizes who the red-headed newcomer is. "I fucking hate witches. Stupid demon whores."

Rowena gives her an angered look with the insult. "I answer to no one… demons included."

"Sure," Lizzy rolls her eyes. "And if Lucifer were here? You'd be on your knees already, sweetheart."

Rowena, offended by the Knight of Hell's running mouth, is ready to do what she can to end the bitch.

Sammy steps up, standing in front of the car's front bumper and facing Lizzy. Instead of let the Knight of Hell distract, he directs his attention to her while the rest get to work. "Lizzy. This ends now."

"What does, sweetie?" the Knight asks in Lizzy's usual loving voice.

"You're reign of shit is over," Sammy says with certainty. "I'm getting rid of the Mark. I'm curing the demon. I'm getting my mother back. Tonight."

The Knight laughs as if she's heard the funniest joke of her life.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Sammy confidently warns. "Because this… is about suck for you."

Lizzy keeps her confident smirk in place, undeterred.

"Oh, Samuel?"

Sammy turns around to look at the witch, the gold ceremonial bowl already half filled with ingredients for the massively powerful spell.

"What is this?" Rowena asks aloud as she holds up a jar of blood from the sack of ingredients she was supplied with just now. She doesn't recognize it as an ingredient for the very specific spell they are performing.

"Blood," Sammy answers simply.

"From?" Rowena asks with impatience.

The Knight of Hell grins wider when she gets it. "From here it smells like it belongs to a boy. One named…." She sniffs the air. "Oskar."

Closing her eyes, knowing how screwed they are now, Rowena requests, "Sammy, dear. Come here a second."

"Little busy enjoying the moment," Sammy keeps smiling at evil Lizzy.

"I need to speak to you _. Right now_."

Rolling his eyes, Sammy turns and walks for the witch while completely irritated. This is his big moment. This is what he's worked his whole life for… and he's being interrupted.

"What the hell do you want?" Sammy half whispers to the witch, keeping the conversation between them.

"I want to talk to you about the fact that you royally screwed the pooch," Rowena angrily explains in an also hushed voice.

"What do you mean?" Sammy grits out quietly. "I searched every corner of the Earth for these ingredients…."

"And you got them all. Technically."

Sammy shakes his head, not getting it.

"You needed to supply something the spell breaker loves… so that the _spell breaker_ can kill it," Rowena explains, eyes glued to the jar of blood that belongs to the one human she ever loved that is now painfully gone. " _I_ had to kill him. Not you. You… you killed my wee Oskar for nothing. Nothing at all."

Sammy's heart freezes to ice in his chest. "Are you telling me… that after all this… you can't do this spell?" His fearful, wide eyes stare at her.

"Ha!" they all hear the Knight of Hell belt out with Lizzy's voice. She's erupting in a gut busting laughter, holding her stomach. She looks to Sammy. "Oh, my… _god_! Ha! Oh, kiddo! You are one _epic_ fuck up.

Dean and Sam look between adult Sammy and the Knight, coming to terms with how in trouble they are now. They have nothing. They can't kill her. They can barely hold her off now.

"I mean, you've fucked up a lot in the past, but this?" evil Lizzy continues to berate Sammy through her laughing. "You came all this way, traveled time, found the most powerful witch in the damn world... orchestrated this whole thing… and _this_ is what trips your whole plan up? You didn't read the fine print!?"

And the mood changes. Every ounce of confidence is gone from the group of hunters.

Dean's eyes catch his wife's, both filled with horror. Their little boy is completely at risk now. They have no recourse. They have no way to protect him.

Dean makes a snap decision. If this is happening, then he's not going down without a fight. Maybe if he gives a good enough fight his wife and son can slip off and run for it. If they can get away then Lizzy can keep Sammy safe from all this, he knows it.

"So… now that your plan is good and ruined… what do you say we end this quick and easy?" the Knight of Hell asks the group. She thrusts her hands out and the entire group by the Impala is blast back several feet, tumbling to the ground with the force.

Knowing she can't passively sit by, Lizzy stands up with her son. She can't do nothing. She can't let her little boy be put in this much danger. Her whole life has been avoiding this and she did so well for so long. This isn't happening.

But she's powerless against her future self. And when the Knight turns to look at them, her heart skips with fright.

With a smirk, the Knight of Hell starts to walk towards Lizzy and Sammy, standing on the steps of the old school.

"Don't," Lizzy sternly warns despite having no recourse.

"Mommy?" Sammy stirs in her arms at the absolute worst time.

"Please," evil Lizzy brushes it off and holds her hands out. "Hey, Sammy. Come to mommy."

"No fucking way," Lizzy shakily says and gets off the steps to walk across the asphalt towards Dean, her arms crushing her son in her hold.

"Stop!"

Lizzy freezes in place with the direction given by the Knight of Hell. Her feet won't move. She's glued to the ground.

"Come on, now, Lizzy. Hand him over," the Knight keeps advancing.

Panicking, she's screwed. Lizzy just grips tightly and looks down at the face of her innocent boy, his little face unaware of anything. "I love you, baby. Sammy, I love you."

"Love you, mommy," he smiles, but when a second woman that looks just like his mother reaches out to take him, his face darkens.

One look at the woman and he knows she's off, she's bad. Even if her face looks like mommy, he knows she isn't. Sammy's a smart kid, his Uncle Sam tells him so all the time. He knows he must keep his mommy safe from this bad lady.

It happens in a blink. Lizzy inhales sharply with shock when she sees nothing but blue, shimmering light surrounding her and her son. The light is dense but peaceful feeling, even in a time of extreme threat. When Lizzy looks down at her son in her hold, his are eyes lit up blue as he looks up at her with a smile.

"Sammy?" Lizzy says his name with total surprise, love, fear… everything.

"Hi, mommy," Sammy says, acting normal as can be despite his blue eyes and the blue light enveloping them. He reaches up to her face and squishes her cheeks together to purse her lips. "You a fishy."

She smiles back, heart hammering away. He's safe and she couldn't be happier about that. Everything else, especially her gut-feeling of fear over this ability of his, can wait. Instead she hugs her son close and lets a few thankful tears fall.

"What the hell?" Sam says first as the group slowly get to their feet, the blow taking a lot out of them.

Sammy stands quickly, knowing his secret is out now.

"Sammy?" Dean says his son's name as he watches the moment unfold. The forcefield around his wife and son is blue, angelic, like the light he's seen Castiel exude when mid-fight. Little Sammy's eyes look exactly like every angel he's seen before when they use their powers. But Sammy isn't acting like he's intentionally using them. He looks like the average Sammy, happy and normal. "Sammy!?"

His young son turns at his name. He waves at the very familiar face. "Hi, daddy!"

The blue eyes making him fearful but thankful, Dean just grins small right back and waves. "Hey, kiddo."

The Knight of Hell, standing a few feet back from the blue light, is stunned. She reaches out to grab Sammy though the forcefield but it zapped when she touches the light. She pulls her hand back, recoiling with pain.

"That's not…" she starts to speak but pauses to process the sight. "But… he's not supposed to tap into that yet."

"Tap into what?" Dean yells over, eyes sliding to his adult son at his side. Sammy looks guilty as sin and Dean doesn't like it one bit.

The Knight of Hell lets out a massive, piercing scream of anger. "No!" She takes two giant steps towards the little boy, ready to burst through it, consequences be damned.

" _ **Elizabeth**_!"

The sound of loud, louder than usual, angel wings flapping cuts through the commotion at the same time as the booming voice interrupts everything. A big dust up of air swirls around the group. Everyone looks to the source of the voice.

Castiel.

"Oh… shit," Sammy is heard muttering under his breath when he sees the angel.

Castiel stands there with shoulders squared to the Knight of Hell. His posture has never been this confident, this sure and strong. His clothing is different. He's no longer wearing the same tax accountant garb he's always in. In its place is a long black duster, the coat fitted instead of being too big. His crisp black button down shirt and dress slacks also fit to perfection. His blue striped tie is actually tied correctly… in a Windsor knot, even. The entire black ensemble gives him a much more intimidating look than the group is accustomed to from the sometimes-bumbling angel.

The Knight of Hell's demeaner also changes in an instant. She looks right at him and her jovial, cocky attitude is gone. She's ready, prepared. And she takes her attention away from little Sammy for the time being.

"Hello, Cassie," the Knight greets, eyes locked on him. "Was wondering when you'd get here. Did you drop the leash you had on Sammy-poo? Did he sneak out when you weren't looking?"

"Samuel's plan was misguided and hasty, not to mention reckless. He's knows what he did. I will deal with him after." Castiel glances at adult Sammy, making sure he understands the trouble he's in.

"After you deal with _me_ , you mean?" evil Lizzy laughs. "You've been trying to deal with me for years, Cass. You lose every time, and now that all the angels have gone off and cowered in their hiding spots like the sissy like children that they truly are, you're all alone in this fight against me. You're all alone. No angels, no Sam and Dean, no sweet Elizabeth… alone. When will you give the fuck up and see that I win?"

"I'll give up when you're dead and gone," Castiel tells her with certainty. "When I'm certain you cannot inflict anymore suffering on this planet."

"Cassie, no!" adult Sammy shouts to the angel, stepping forward towards him even though he knows what a bad idea that would be.

" _Samuel_!" Castiel fires out, his voice louder than any around him have ever heard. "You have made an enormous mess of absolutely everything. You've torn a rip in time, you've tampered with timelines… I've told you again and again, _you cannot change the past_!"

"But I have to!" Sammy yells back. "You know I have to!"

"Sit down, young man," the Knight of Hell interrupts, glancing at Sammy once and pointing to the ground. He, along with the other humans standing by the Impala, all slam to the asphalt ass first until they are forced to sit down.

Sammy glares at the Knight from his place on the ground, his anger growing by the second.

"Cassie, you know I'm not scared of you," evil Lizzy tells him, reaching behind her and pulling out a blade from the back of her tight, black denim pants. It's made of a long animal jaw bone, some teeth still attached. It's ancient and odd in the modern time it exists in but despite that the Knight of Hell smiles and twirls the blade expertly in her hand, just like Lizzy always used to. "And you know I have what it takes to end you, too. I've kept as many of my family members alive that I safely could out of… I don't know, call it loyalty to my old self. Maybe it's a little nostalgia, who the fuck knows. But between you and Sammy here, I've fucking had it!"

Without missing a beat, Castiel raises his arm behind himself. Materializing out of thin air, a long lance appears in his grip as he pulls it over head, the silver, gleaming tip pointed and sharp. When he has it in his hold, at the ready, the mending along the wooden shaft is clear. It's been broken once and since repaired. "Right back at you, Elizabeth."

Sammy breathes in deeply a few times, the fire in his gut growing as his eyes start to glow. His anger has always been his undoing.

"Sammy?" Dean asks, watching it happen as Castiel and the Knight of Hell square off. Once more he's seeing his son do something a normal human cannot. Yes, he's scared of the Knight of hell that looks like his wife. Yes, he's terrified of his son being a hunter in the future. But this? He's never felt a fear like this.

Sammy, blue light emanating from his skin as he powers up, stands up against the Knight's telekinetic strength. "Don't. Touch. Her."

Thrusting his arms out, Sammy pushes forward with his palms out. A blue burst of energy explodes out from him and ripples across the ground.

Everyone tumbles back when they're hit with it, everyone except Lizzy and little Sammy. They're protected still. They're completely unaffected.

Dean, Sam, and Rowena all roll back several feet, Dean hitting back first into the Impala. Sam is with Rowena way behind it.

Castiel is still standing tall, the blast merely ruffling his hair as his strength is nothing to scoff at. He simply stood tall and took it.

But the Knight of Hell takes the brunt of it. Groaning in pain, she's on her stomach and trying to crawl away. The burst hurt her the most, her body struggling to function after the attack.

And once the angelic power has been used, Sammy collapses to the ground.

"Sammy!" Lizzy yells and runs for him. It's dumb, she knows that. But she can't stop herself. Her son is hurt. Her baby is hurt and, even if the childhood version is just fine, she can't sit by and do nothing.

Diving to the asphalt next to him, Lizzy grabs Sammy's face with the hand not clutching to the child she's still got in her hold. Eyes closed and unresponsive, she settles his head in her lap. "Sammy, sweetie?" she calls quietly to him as she uses her free hand to lightly rub his cheek, looking to wake him. The blue light of little Sammy's protection surrounds all three of them so she knows, at the very least, they're all three safe.

When Castiel stands tall, lance in his hand tightly, he surveys his surroundings. The hunters he knows and loves are all around him, though in rough shape. Sam and Dean are still on the ground in pain, slowly making their way to stand again. So is Rowena, the witch they were never meant to meet just yet. His Elizabeth, the girl he watched grow from a child into a force to be reckoned with and then into the darkest of evil he's see the fall of his older brother, is there and pure and untainted. Sammy is a boy, happy and unaware still despite everything happening around him.

This should never have happened. Not like this.

The groan of pain coming from Elizabeth's voice makes him focus on the task at hand. He spots the Knight of Hell crawling slowly away in a pathetic attempt to survive. She won't. Not this time.

Castiel walks with determined steps to the wounded Knight. When he makes it to her he steps on her hand, putting enough pressure on it to immobilize her in her already weakened state. She yells in pain and doesn't try to move any further. With the lance's blunt end, he knocks the First Blade out of her hand and away from her reach all too easily. The angelic blow Sammy dealt her is far more potent than Castiel has ever seen from the boy. He's now very worried for Sammy's health.

Task at hand first, though.

"Elizabeth," Castiel says to her kindly, crouching to the ground as he looks into her eyes. The Knight reluctantly looks back, her hand still under boot.

"This where you finally kill me, Cassie?" she asks him, voice strained. Her brown eyes meet his blue ones. "You're finally gonna win one, huh?"

"I never wanted to win this one," Castiel admits to her. "But I feel you've given me no choice."

"I'll give you a choice right now," she returns with, wincing in pain. "Just let me go. _Don't_ kill me." She smiles through the pain with a cheeky attitude.

Castiel's mouth tugs a little in the corner, wanting to smile with the comment that is just so Lizzy, but he steels his face. "I'd give anything to not have to do this. My entire existence has been… pointless. At least, until I had you it was. I…." He looks away. It's hard to see her like this in a moment like this. "I did everything I could. I tried, I swear. But… I know this is the only way this can come to an end."

"You kill me… then we're all practically gone," Lizzy's voice reminds him. "Every human you tried to help and have called family…."

"You're not human," Castiel reminds without an ounce of emotion.

"No…" the Knight agrees, eye flashing black. "But neither were you. And I never faulted you on that."

This time, Castiel smiles tight and small. "That is very true. But I never brought Hell to Earth, so there's that."

"You got me there," she comments, her hand slowly creeping to the First Blade as she tries to distract him.

Lightning fast, Castiel stands and jabs her free hand in the center of the back of it with the blunt handle-end of the lance, pinning it to the ground to prevent her from grabbing her weapon. With an icy tone, he then reminds her, "But then again, you did kill Dean and Sam… made Louise go mad… and abandoned your own son. And… you left me." The anguish written into his expression with that last statement is deep and strong. "You took my best friends from me. You made my Heavenly family abandon the Earth and label it a lost cause. You, my charge I would have moved mountains for, left me. It's been… lonely. And truly painful. And I only have you to blame."

Castiel reels back his foot and kicks her in the side, flipping her onto her back. He then steps a foot onto her stomach, making sure she stays there, as he points the gleaming lance tip at her chest.

"Cassie… please…."

"You cannot plead for mercy after all you've done," Castiel keeps a calm, even exterior despite his heart already breaking in his chest. "You were my family. But you betrayed me. You betrayed us all."

"Cass! Don't…." The Knight of Hell, the fallen former human, holds her hands out in surrender.

"I love you, Elizabeth," Castiel tells her from the depths of her being, and he sharply plunges the lance into her gut.

In an instant puff of black smoke, Lizzy's form disappears into thin air with a single scream.


	16. THis is Heavy (Part 7)

There's a silence that comes over the front of the abandoned elementary school. It's tense, no one knowing what to say or do in the moment.

But one thing is very clear: the threat is over. The Knight of Hell is dead.

Staring at the pavement under his foot now that Lizzy's image has disappeared, Castiel is frozen for the time being. He killed her. He killed the one person he was sent to Earth to protect and serve. His Elizabeth, the mother of the Second Coming and the first human to ever fully embrace him as a friend and family member, is dead at his very hands.

The hole in his being is already there and vast. He knows this is it. There's no going back now. He's never going to be the same again.

His expression changes from the serious, determined one he arrived with to one that's remorseful when it hits him with the full gravity of what he's done. Nothing has hurt like this. Not even when he was to blame for the deaths of so many of his brothers and sisters. For the first time since he was human, he can feel the prick of tears behind his eyes.

No. Not now. He must deal with the fallout.

Fixing his face to stone once more, Castiel lifts his lance and turns to the group. All eyes are on him. In order to appear less threatening, he snaps and the lance disappears from sight.

Without a word, he walks for Lizzy and the two versions of Sammy; one young and in Lizzy's arms and the other older and still unconscious. He stops just outside of the blue light surrounding them. He makes eye contact with the young boy that Lizzy has yet to let go of.

"Hello, Samuel," Castiel greets the little boy, his mood instantly lighter.

"Cassie!" Sammy shouts and reaches his arms out to the angel as the blue light disappears, his eyes returning to their human, green color as if he never did anything out of the ordinary.

With a happy, heavy, yet slightly relieved sigh, Castiel crouches to the ground and reaches for the child. Sammy happily leans out for him, letting the angel take him from his mom without a care.

"You different!" Sammy delights as he grabs the lapel of Castiel's black coat.

"The truth of that very packed statement is lost on you, I fear," Castiel jests slightly, watching Sammy play with his clothing. "But, you are right. I have a different coat. You've always been exceptionally observant."

As Sammy sticks his small fingers through a button hole on the coat, Castiel looks at Lizzy. He smiles even though smiling isn't a common thing for him. His heart hurts a lot less when he sees her sitting there, the old her. The her he always loved.

"You're not my Cass?" Lizzy asks, despite knowing the answer already.

"Yes and no," Castiel simply explains before glancing down into her lap. Her hand is carding through Sammy's hair as he lays there, still out cold.

"Is he okay?" Lizzy needs to know.

Castiel tilts his head as he looks over Sammy's adult form. With his free hand, he reaches out and touches Sammy's forehead. The young man breathes in deeply and opens his eyes, Castiel's grace mending him from the inside out.

Blinking a few times, Sammy shoots up until sitting. Frantically, he looks around, not seeing the Knight of Hell anywhere. "Where is she!?" he panics, scrambling to his feet. "Where is she!?"

"Samuel, calm yourself," Castiel gently says, never one to like raising his voice in front of a young version of the boy, as he stands up.

"What did you do!?"

"The question, I believe, is what did _you_ do?" Castiel turns it around. "I warned you of this plan, Samuel. I told you..."

"I told _you_ I wasn't giving up on mom!"

"She was no longer your mother!"

"Don't say that!" Sammy shouts and shoves Castiel in the chest, making him stumble back a single step while still holding little Sammy. Clenching his jaw, Castiel reaches to the young man again.

"We will speak when you've had a moment to calm yourself. Wait for me," Castiel tells him and touches his shoulder.

Adult Sammy disappears into thin air.

The silence of the area returns as everyone gets to their feet, all staring with caution at the angel in front of them. He's Castiel, the one they know well… but he's different. Stronger. More sure of himself.

"Cassie?" Lizzy quietly says his name. The angel looks to her with a blank expression. "Where's Sammy?"

He nods once. "I sent him back to our timeline, where he belongs."

"Back to the future?" Dean asks, making a face when he realizes what he just said.

"Yes," Castiel answers, not giving the pop culture reference the time of day as usual. "When I return, I'll deal with him."

"How do you know he'll actually wait for you?" Lizzy has to wonder, knowing how headstrong her adult son appeared to be.

Castiel's face lightens with confidence. "Where he is… he'll be there when I return." He takes one look at Lizzy's horrified face and elaborates. "Elizabeth, I put him somewhere safe that he cannot get out of. I'm not about to bring him any harm, I assure you. He is, after all, the last of my family. I wouldn't hurt him."

Lizzy nods and relaxes.

"Sam," Castiel turns his attentions to the tall hunter. "Would you please go get your wife. She's in the basement. The Knight of Hell knocked her unconscious and I'd like to take care of that for her."

Sam's face pales, his feet running instantly with the news.

"Okay… Cass, what the hell just happened?" Dean asks the angel as all involved are terribly confused.

The angel sighs, then peers at Sammy in his arms. "Why don't we return to your home, put this young man to bed, and we can all talk."

"What about her?" Dean asks, jerking his thumb at the witch still standing there.

"I'll take care of her," Castiel simply answers, marching quickly to Rowena.

"Now… wait just a moment…." Rowena tries to stop him but before she can he touches her forehead, the witch simply gone.

Lizzy inhales sharply with another disappearance. "Did you… kill her too?" she asks him.

"No. I simply returned her to her to her hotel room that she had been kidnapped from… after wiping her memory, of course."

Dean closes his eyes a moment and shakes his head. "Cass…."

"Patience, Dean," Castiel stops him there, looking to the front door of the school as Sam carries Lou in his arms, her body limp and still out. "Let's return you home. That is the Men of Letters bunker at this point in time, is it not?"

"It is," Lizzy nods enthusiastically, ready to return to whatever it is she considers home-like.

"Brace yourselves," Castiel tells them all and he closes his eyes and bows his head.

"Cass! The car!" Dean tries to remind him that the Impala is with them but it's too late.

In a quick blink, every one of the group is standing around the library tables in the bunker. They're home.

"Your car is in the garage, Dean. And no, I did not scratch it or, as you would say, screw with it in any way. I was sure to treat your car with the utmost respect as I appreciate my vessel's testicles where they are," Castiel explains very dryly, handing Sammy back to his mother. "It'd probably be best that you put him down for the night. I'm assuming his bedtime was hours ago."

Lizzy takes her little boy and nods. She pauses while staring at the angel, the one from a future that is so bleak and sad… and all her fault. There's so much she wants to say to him but right now isn't the time. Instead, she leans into him and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you." And she walks away.

Once in the room that has been decorated with car posters, stuffed animals, and more die-cast toy cars than Lizzy could ever count, she lays Sammy into his race car bed.

"Mommy?" Sammy says in a now sleepy voice.

"Yes, baby?" she smiles at him kindly and pulls the covers over him.

"Is Cassie mad?" he asks, confused after all he saw.

"No," Lizzy grins, her stomach churning as she now realizes she has a lot to explain to him. What exactly did he see? What will need explaining? "He's just being… Cass."

"Mommy?"

"Sammy, I bet you have a lot of questions, huh?" she asks him in a calm, loving voice.

He just nods with his head on the pillow, his short, dark hair already sticking up at odd angels. He yawns while looking up at her.

"How about this, then?" she starts, leaning down onto her side, hand propping her head up as she speaks to the tiny love of her life. "Tomorrow morning, you come wake me up. We'll make pancakes and talk all about what happened tonight. You can ask as many questions as you want."

"Okay," Sammy easily agrees with heavy eyes.

Her fingers combing through his hair adoringly, her heart swells are she tries to fight the tears. Eyes on him, all she can see is the face of her twenty-year-old son that has had the most difficult life imaginable. "You know I love you to the moon and back? Right?"

"Love you too, mommy," Sammy grins at her.

"Get some sleep. And I'll see you first thing in the morning." Kissing his cheek, Lizzy stands up out of his bed.

"Night, mommy," Sammy barely gets out as exhaustion claims him.

Lizzy stops to turn on his nightlight, the turning star pattern lighting up the barren bunker room walls. They really need to up their game when it comes to decorating if they're going to be here for the time being. She then heads for the door, pausing to take a good, hard look at her son. Her heart immediately breaks for him.

Quietly, she shuts the door and walks for her own room right next door. She grabs the bagged salt and lines the outside of his doorway. It's irrational, she knows that. Anything that can get past the bunker warding can get past a simple salt line without breaking a sweat. But it doesn't matter. The extra step makes her feel better.

Leaning against the wall opposite his door, she lets it out. Lizzy slides her back down the wall until she's sitting on the floor, tears falling down her cheeks. He's safe now. At least for the moment, he's safe.

Sammy is her everything and she knows, even when he's older, he'll always be her everything. But… the future….

It's too much.

* * *

The moment Lizzy leaves the library with Sammy, Castiel turns to Sam. "Lay her on the table."

Sam does just that with a hammering heart. The gash on Lou's head is deep, running from her hairline to her eyebrow. And she's bled a lot.

"She's probably been out a really long time," Sam says aloud, his voice giving his fear away. She has been completely unresponsive from the moment he found her in a heap on the school's basement floor. He tried but he couldn't wake her.

"This is nothing I can't handle, Sam. Trust me," Castiel promises as he steps up. A glowing palm pressed to her forehead, a few seconds of concentration, and Lou's eyes pop open.

Instantly, Sam closes his eyes and exhales in relief. He then pops his lids open and looks at her as she sits up. "Never gonna get used to that shit happening."

"Whoa, the bunker?" she looks around, eyes landing on Sam. "What the fuck did I miss?"

"We'll fill you in," Sam huffs a laugh at her dazed expression as he reaches for her. Easily lifting her up, he sets her on her feet. "You feel okay?"

"A little… woozy, I guess, but I'm cool," Lou nods and presses a hand to her head. "Shit. I remember bitch Lizzy finding us… I think I tried to stab her… then nothing."

"It appears she dealt you a blow to your head that rendered you unconscious. But don't worry. I healed you," Castiel offers in the most basic of explanations. He then looks to the group. "I think we should sit down."

"I knew of his plan," Castiel sums up everything before Sammy arrived, his story similar to what Sammy had told them all. "He…."

Castiel turns around and just a couple seconds later, Lizzy makes her way around the corner and up the handful of stairs into the library.

Her eyes are red and watery, her posture slumped. Dean quickly gets up and walks for her, Lizzy pulling her arms around his neck automatically. He holds her close as she gives into sobs, her mind unable to deal with everything.

"I… I can't…."

"I know," Dean tells her calmly, a hand to the back of her head.

"Sammy… oh, god…."

"Shh," Dean shushes her when she can't manage to form thoughts. He just holds her tightly and lets her get it out once the gravity of everything hits hard. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"This isn't like always!" she cries to him.

As the room waits for Lizzy to collect herself eventually, Castiel wonders if this is even worth it. Shouldn't he just leave? Explaining things isn't going help, not with how he must depart. Why bother?

Then he remembers that he hasn't spoken to anyone he truly cares about in several years. He's spoken with other angels, demons when he's had to, and Samuel from time to time. That's it. He misses his friends. He misses his family, their absence a deep cavern on his being.

Feelings. Sometimes he wishes he never discovered them and developed them. Being a soldier taking orders with no thought was so much easier.

"That can't happen!" she cries, lifting her head from his shirt front to lock eyes. "Dean…."

"It won't happen." He says it with pure determination.

"But… I ruined his life…."

"And this time around you won't…."

"Yes, she will," Castiel cuts in, his voice unwavering. "I don't doubt it for a second. Elizabeth will make the same decision when faced with the opportunity to possibly save her family. End of story. Both of you, sit down." He points across the table at two open seats. "We have much to talk about."

Lizzy pauses while looking at the familiar face that is just so different with time. She starts to see red. "You said you'd be there for us."

"Elizabeth…" he tries to stop her before she goes off. He knows her well.

"What happened to that!?" Lizzy accuses. "If you had been there, you could have stopped it all!"

"I don't believe I could have…."

"Why didn't you stop it!?"

"When have I ever once been able to stop you from doing something!?" Castiel asks, his voice elevating as he stands up. "You don't listen to others. You do whatever it is you choose to do and there's never been any stopping you. Don't try to place the blame anywhere else but on yourself. This all happened because of the choices _you_ made, not me. Now, sit down!"

Speechless, Lizzy listens. She takes a second to process the moment of sheer strength from an older Castiel and then she moves slowly to a seat. Dean sits next to her. Sam and Lou haven't moved so now everyone is there and listening.

"Samuel has made a complete mess," Castiel looks down at the table top instead of at the others as he sits back down himself. "I'm not exactly sure where to start."

"How about with Sammy's powers," Dean suggests, face hardening. "What the hell was that about, Cass? I mean, he's never shown that kinda juice before. Ever."

Under the table, Lizzy reaches for and grasps hard onto Deans hand. They're both terrified by what they've seen from their own boy.

"It's the Nephilim in him," Castiel looks around the room, uncomfortable with telling them this. "He has such strong connections with Nephilim bloodlines that… I'm not sure exactly but it seems that he can tap into some angelic power. He's never let me check but… I'm aware that he has a limited amount of grace within his soul. It's the only explanation."

"You're saying he's literally part angel," Lizzy presses on.

"I'm saying… I don't know. I guess so, yes… but nothing like him has ever existed before so I cannot be sure. Before now, Samuel has never been put into such a highly dangerous situation. That is what makes him able to tap into his power, or at least when he was younger that was the case. If he or his loved ones are threatened, he protects. In his older age… it appears he has a different trigger."

"Which is?" Dean fears asking.

"Anger. He's a very, very angry young man and I for one cannot blame him for that. Given the path his life took… I'd be that angry also. Maybe even more so." Castiel looks around at the broken faces, everyone trying to take in the information Castiel give, but it's so much to take. He keeps going anyways, knowing it'll only get worse. "In my time, Samuel came to me with this plan of his months ago. He wanted to come back in time, find the witch Rowena, bring her back with him, and have her complete a spell that would remove the Mark from Elizabeth's arm."

"Removing the Mark would cure me?" Lizzy wonders.

"No. Removing the Mark would simply ensure that you would not devolve into your own anger and the need to kill once more. It was to ensure you'd not go demonic ever again," Castiel explains. "Once the Knight of Hell Abaddon was set free, your lives became quite difficult. You all felt responsible and were determined to end her for good before she ruined the Earth."

"Why did we feel responsible?" Sam asks, eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"Well, long story shortened drastically… you let her out."

"Of fucking course, we did," Lou nods, sitting back heavily in her chair. "We suck sometime, dudes."

"It was purely accidental," Castiel tries to assure them.

"Yeah, that never helps," Dean comments back. "So, Lizzy gets Mark of Cain to kill Abaddon, does, and then goes crazy-slash-dies and turns demon."

"Basically." Castiel nods and looks down at his hands. "I haven't seen a sane, good version of Elizabeth in nearly twenty years." His eyes drift to Lizzy. "It is so good to see you again. Truly."

Smiling sadly, Lizzy doesn't respond so he continues.

"Samuel's idea to come back, break the curse, and then cure the demon version of his mother…."

"Wait!" Sam stops him immediately. "Cure?"

"Yes."

"As in… cure a demon?" Sam keeps prying. "Sammy knows how to cure a demon?"

Castiel just looks at him for a beat. "I forget you are new to this treasure trove of knowledge you currently reside in. I suggest you keep digging through the vast amount of information stored here. What you will find is… an immeasurable amount of help. Including the ability to cure a demon."

"Holy shit," Sam sighs out, looking at Dean with total shock. "I'll start going through it tomorrow."

"Yes, well, the point to all of this is that no matter how well thought out Samuel's plan was, he didn't know one crucial thing."

"That is?" Dean asks.

"Breaking that curse, removing the Mark of Cain from Lizzy's arm… that would come at a price too costly to risk," Castiel tells them.

"What does that mean?" Lizzy questions.

"Does not matter now. I found a weapon, one that was well hidden and highly guarded, that can kill even a Mark bearer. The plight of fear is over. Hell on Earth can end now." With that statement, everything starts to settle in for Castiel. "That's what matters."

The look of utter sorrow on Castiel's face is clear and strong.

"She wasn't me, Cassie," Lizzy tries to console the angel. She places her free hand over his on the table and makes him look at her. His troubled blue eyes stare at her with all the sadness in the world. "You didn't kill me. It sounds to me that I died years ago. What you killed was a monster."

"You can say that, and it's sweet of you to do so… but it was you," Castiel denies her kind words. "Demonic as you may have turned, it was you. I… I had to watch you descend into such hate and darkness… I don't…." Castiel finally looks up from the table to catch Lizzy's eyes. He sees her, the old her, her eyes still alive and bright. She's the woman he watched grow from a child and fell in love with. She's the one person that taught him more about what family is than any others. "It honestly is…." He pauses, eyes watering with emotion. "So good to see the real you again."

Lizzy immediately stands up when she sees something new. She's seen nearly everything a human can see in a lifetime… but she's never seen an angel cry. Especially not her angel. And his tears are her fault.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders while leaning down to him from behind his library chair, Lizzy hugs her angel hard. His broken heart can't be covered by his new, extremely badass aura.

When he feels her embrace, Castiel hangs his head and closes his eyes. He absorbs the feel of something good, something caring. Angels are not beings that need warmth by nature. However, being around her warmth for years… he'd grown accustomed to it. Hell, he'd grown to need it in his life.

A hand coming up and gasping onto her forearm, Lizzy holds back her sobs with every ounce of strength she has. When she feels something slip into her hand, something that feels like a folded piece of paper, she doesn't say anything.

"Samuel needs me. I must go," Castiel suddenly changes his demeanor. He stands up after pulling Lizzy's arms out from around his shoulders. He looks at her for a beat and sighs. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lizzy questions the statement.

He doesn't answer, just raises his hand as a white light starts to glow from it brighter and brighter.

It clicks instantly. Dean knows what he's doing. "Cass, don't…!"

That's all he gets out before the light envelopes them all.

* * *

"You want that last slice?" Dean asks across the metal kitchen table while pointing to the lone piece of pizza left in the box between them.

"Have at it," Sam simply answers, wiping his mouth with a cheap paper napkin as he stands up.

Dean just smiles to himself. He grabs the slice hastily and takes a huge bite.

"You talk to Lizzy?" Sam asks as he picks up the trash from their dinner and takes it to the bin in the room, it starting to overflow yet he does nothing about it.

"Yeah," Dean answers through his bite, looking across the kitchen at him. "They got in an hour ago."

"Nice of Lou to let me know," Sam lightly complains, having never head from her.

"Eh, probably figured I'd tell you."

"Nice work on that," Sam gripes lightly, smirking on his way to the refrigerator.

"They decided they're staying for an extra day," Dean tells him, ignoring the sarcasm. "Which works out. If we go after that possible vamp nest in Idaho we'll probably get back when they do."

"If the hunt goes our way you mean?" Sam comments, peeking into the refrigerator. Dean nods once when his mouth is too full to speak in answer. "When was the last time that actually happened?"

Dean shrugs. "Dunno."

"And Lizzy's cool with you hunting for no other reason than to hunt?" Sam questions with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Dean looks away and takes another big bite, not answering. Guilty.

"Oh, nice. You didn't tell her before she left," Sam gets mad. "Dean…."

"Sam, I know. Okay? I know." Dean finishes his bite to defend himself. "We talked. She's the one that said I shouldn't hunt unless it had to do with the Trials… which she's super pissed at you for not telling Lou about still."

Now Sam looks guilty. "I'll tell her when she gets back." His brother huffs in disbelief. "I will. I just didn't want to ruin their first trip back home in a long time. And this all _just_ happened. I need some time with it myself."

"Well, when you get sent to the dog house for this then I guess I'll be meeting you there," Dean bitches a little. " _She's_ the one that said no hunting. I never I agreed with her."

"So, you're going behind her back instead of grabbing your balls and telling her?"

"Hey! Not telling Lizzy that I'm going vamp hunting has nothing to do with my manhood, okay?" Dean points out, offended. "I'm just avoiding unnecessary conflict."

"You're being a wimp," Sam calls him out.

"And you're not?" He cocks an eyebrow at him in challenge.

Sam sighs with guilt as he brings two bottles of beer to the table and sits back down. He places both bottles on the table and Dean picks them up one at a time, popping them with a silverware knife. Dean passes one back to Sam and they clink bottles.

"To the dog house," Sam smirks, knowing they're both cooked.

"Woof," Dean answer back flatly and gulps down a healthy amount of beer. After he swallows he sighs, "Ah. Well, upside of the wife and kid being away, I can drink like I want to."

"Or, you know, you could just plain give your liver a damn break," Sam huffs a laugh.

Dean gives him a look of annoyance. "My liver's made of iron these days."

"Yeah… that's not how alcoholism works, Dean."

The two go silent for a moment and Dean looks around the kitchen with a weird feeling.

"What?" Sam asks, knowing something's up.

"I don't know?" Dean answers, brow wrinkled and eyes staring at the icebox. "Just… huh. Felt like something was… missing maybe?"

"Are you asking me if something's missing?" Sam wonder, completely confused.

"Maybe. It kinda felt like something was supposed to happen or…." Dean trails off, still feeling odd.

"You feeling okay?" Sam laughs a little at him.

"Fine," Dean quickly responds, still looking at the icebox.

"Seriously… you're not stroking out on me or anything, are you?" Sa keeps poking fun.

Dean snaps his focus to his little brother. "Shut up," Dean bitches and stands up, heading for the kitchen doorway. "I'll be in my room."

"Grumpy," Sam comments and laughs again. His phone buzzes in his pocket and he takes it out to look at it.

 _Hey, Giant! We're here! Just letting you know._

Shaking his head with a grin, he texts back.

 _Yeah, I know. You got in an hour ago. Thanks for the heads up._

Sam sips his beer and doesn't have to wait more than a few second for a response.

 _Sorry! I'm excited to be here. We haven't been to the Cape since we were kids. Sammy's already loving the beach. I just wish you came with us._

Sighing, he nods. He agrees. Sam had talked to Dean about going with them, family vacation and all, but with the bunker being so new to him and the fact that he just started the Trials and Sam hasn't told Lou about it yet… seemed like it would be for the best to stay put and do some research without prying eyes.

 _Me too. But we have plenty to keep us busy. Stay safe out there._

He ends it there so that she can go back to enjoying her time away. Massachusetts is a flight away for them and, since Dean didn't go, they bought tickets. Sammy's first plane ride. Lou deserves to have this time to show Sammy what it was to grow up like Lizzy and she did without having her face buried in a phone. They can talk later.

When Sam gets to his room, he ditches his jeans for sweatpants. He's just about to fire up Netflix when his phone buzzes again.

 _We will. I miss you already. I'll have an answer for you when I get back. Promise._

And there's that rock of guilt in his gut again. They had a deal that they set up before Sam completed the first Trial. She would take the time away from him and the bunker to think. Sam, once they moved into the secure bunker, brought up children again. Surprisingly, Lou wasn't completely against it, just mostly against it. She swore she'd give it some serious thought and let him know what she thinks. They are getting older. Time is ticking. Lou, never having wanted children before, is feeling the internal clock now and needs to figure out if she can live without ever being a mom.

Sam now wishes he could just tell her not to bother. He doesn't know what the Trials will do to him. Maybe having a family really, truly isn't in the cards for the two of them.

 _Don't stress about it. Have fun and relax for once. I love you._

Sitting at the end of his bed, Sam stares at the three dots on his phone screen, indicating that she's typing a response. He feels terrible about keeping the Trials from her.

 _I love you, too. Think of me before you fall asleep tonight. ;)_

Sam laughs at that. There she is. His Lou. Always turning a simple I love you into something sexual. It never fails to make him grin these days.

And he does think of her while he falls asleep. Not how she was hoping he would, but right now the blame he puts on himself makes him think of nothing much else besides her.

* * *

"Okay, I think someone's had enough," Lizzy laughs as she looks down at Sammy sitting on the big blanket spread out on the beach sand, his eyes drooping as he vocally whines with crankiness.

"Oh, he's done," Lou agrees, sitting up from where she'd been laying out on her towel. Through her sunglasses, she can read the sleepiness all over him. It's been lovely sitting out on the beach for a few hours, the air warm and salty. It's been a good reminder of their younger years. She and Lizzy even rented the same cottage they stayed at with Lizzy's family every summer. They're sitting in their old spot at their old favorite beach and moment like this in their lives are too few. "Pack up and head back for naptime?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lizzy easily agrees as her son gets fussier by the second. Pulling Sammy into her lap, the young boy in his bathing suit shorts and t-shirt with shark on it, she asks him, "You need a nap?"

"No!" Sammy starts to cry. "No nap, Mommy!"

"So, you want to stay here?" Lizzy challenges, already knowing the answer as she knows her son all too well.

"No!" he complains back.

"Well, sorry kiddo, but I think you just need to lay down," Lizzy tells him for sure, standing up with him in her arms still.

Sammy continues to whine as they pack up. When Lizzy pulls on her shorts she finds something in the pocket. A folded note. She quickly opens it and reads.

 _Do not go with Dean in search of the First Blade. Stay home. Stay with Sammy._

"What the hell is this?" Lizzy asks her sister, holding the note out to Lou.

She takes it. "Where did you find it?" she questions as she reads the short, quickly scribbled note.

"My pocket. Never seen it before."

"What's the First Blade?" Lou has to wonder, handing the note back.

"No idea," Lizzy shrugs. "I mean, Dean didn't write it. And neither did Sam. It's not their handwriting."

"Ha, if Sam wrote it you wouldn't be able to read it," Lou laughs it off. "Cass maybe?"

"Could be," Lizzy shrugs. "Never actually seen his handwriting though. That's weird, huh?"

"Guess," Lou brushes it off. "We'll ask when we get back."

"Okay," Lizzy nods, shoving the piece of paper into her pocket again as she plans to ask Sam and Dean about the note when they return.

She never does. She washes her shorts before she remembers to, destroying the note.

* * *

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Finally finished this prompt. Hope you enjoyed it! I'm getting the itch to write more again. I doubt I'll find the time to move any faster than I have been but hey, at least the want and love for writing is coming back! Whoo Hoo!**

* * *

 **Most of the remaining prompts I have left are long AF. I need one shots! Give me one shot ideas! Ready... GO!**


End file.
